Daryl L. McKinney, 86, of Cloquet, passed away quietly at his home on Big Lake on April 29, 2010.
He was born May 16, 1923, in Culbertson Mont. At the age of 8, the family moved to Austin, where he graduated from high school. Following graduation he enrolled at the University of Minnesota. After Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Marine Corp. and attended Officers Candidate School (OCS) at Notre Dame. As a First Lieutenant he served in Okinawa and China. After he received his honorable discharge, he completed his bachelor’s at the University of Minnesota where he met and married Joyce Lindholm.
He and Joyce moved to Couderay, Wis., where they owned and operated a petroleum distributorship. In 1954 they moved to Cloquet, Minn. and became partners with his father-in-law, Ray Lindholm, in Lindholm Oil Company. They purchased Lindholm Oil Company and started Best Oil Company in 1961. They opened their first Little Store in 1971 in Cloquet. Daryl worked with all four sons in family businesses until selling to three of his sons, Michael, John and Christopher, in 1999. After the sale of the company, Daryl remained active in the business until 2005. He was proud to see the business succeed to the third generation. He was also proud to see his son Peter acquire and develop the State Bank of Tower.
Daryl was also actively involved in the Cloquet community and was a generous contributor. He served as President of Cloquet Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Northwest Petroleum Association, Cloquet Development and Industrial Corporation (CDIC), and Cloquet Country Club. Daryl was also nationally recognized as an industry leader and served as Vice President of the National Oil Jobbers Association. He served on the boards of City National Bank of Cloquet, State Bank of Tower, and Carlton Nursing Home. He belonged to Cloquet Country Club, Northland Country Club and Kitchi Gammi Club.
Daryl and Joyce both majored in English and enjoyed a love of books and literature. Together they took pleasure in travel, tennis, skiing, camping, boating, playing bridge and, most of all, being with family and friends at their homes at Big Lake and Arizona.
He is survived by Joyce, his wife of 63 years; his sons, Michael (Susan), John (Suzanne), Christopher (Diane), and Peter (Julene) all of Cloquet; five grandchildren, Sarah of Los Angeles, Patrick of Orlando, Ryan of Hamilton, Mont., Sam of Boston, and David of Cloquet.
Visitation will be Tuesday, May 11 between 4 and 6 p.m. at Nelson Funeral Care in Cloquet. Military Funeral Honors will be conducted by the United States Marine Corp at the conclusion of the visitation at Veterans Memorial Park. The family will have a private service.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to Community Memorial Hospital Foundation, 512 Skyline Boulevard, Cloquet, Minnesota 55720.
See the family online guest book at www.nelsonfuneralcare.net.
Arrangements are by Nelson Funeral Care, Cloquet.