Richard Carl McKinnon, longtime resident of Olympia, passed early on the evening of May 7th at Capital Medical Center. Rick is survived by his beautiful wife, Susan Christian, sons Mark McKinnon, Joel Martell, Rick McKinnon and George Wauchope, and daughters Marla Canning and Melissa Mercer. He was also father to Ian Patrick McKinnon, who preceded him into the hereafter in 1990. Rick is also survived by nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Rick often welcomed people into his home who didn’t have a safe place to go. Thus, he has a large extended family of people that have lived with him at some point in their lives.

Rick was born in Johnson City, NY during the depression, and grew up in Niagara Falls and upstate New York. He served in the Marine Corps from 1952-54, and while he did not enjoy his time in the Corps, he loved this country passionately and encouraged everyone to participate in the democratic process. He took great pride in his education, earning a BA from the Evergreen State College, and an MA from the Leadership Institute of Seattle. He was also immensely proud of his sons Joel and Rick S. for completing their Ph.D.s.

Rick moved his family to Olympia in 1972 in order to find a new way to live. He loved the natural beauty of this area, and lived for the last 29 years on Totten Inlet in a renovated oyster factory. Rick considered his most valuable contribution to the Olympia community to be co-founding the Crisis Clinic of Thurston and Mason Counties with his previous wife Kathy Jordan.

Rick liked to go fast and retired from racing motorcycles at the age of 71, building and rebuilding (and rebuilding and rebuilding) every component on his racing bike. He was known to suddenly disappear on his motorcycle, taking marathon trips to California. Rick was a craftsman who was drawn to many media, especially metal and wood. This work gave him great joy.

Aptly nicknamed “Old Gnarly Rick” by his family, he was a man of powerful, complex emotions. A gentle person by preference, he was friendly to strangers and fiercely loyal to his friends; all babies trusted and loved him. He was known for his ferocity in confronting impoliteness, disrespect or injustice.

He was a defender of the defenseless and unhesitant in challenging oppression - often at high volume and with much cursing. He was curmudgeonly, generous and kind. As he edged into his later years, we saw the sweetness become his defining characteristic. He died too soon, the victim of a lifetime addiction to smoking. Do not smoke; do not allow your children to smoke. May our darling rest in peace.