Philip Howard McKinley, Jr. passed away peacefully on May 26, 2026.He was born on March 20, 1946, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Pauline Bruce McKinley and Philip Howard McKinley. After his father’s pas

Philip Howard McKinley, Jr. passed away peacefully on May 26, 2026.He was born on March 20, 1946, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Pauline Bruce McKinley and Philip Howard McKinley. After his father’s passing when Philip was five, his mother moved with him and his sister, Paulette, to Kansas City, Missouri. Pauline taught at Sunset Hill Girls School, which allowed Philip to attend Pembroke Country Day Boys School on scholarship.A University of Pennsylvania recruiter visited Pembroke during Philip’s senior year, leading him to Penn, where he discovered his lifelong love of rowing. He rowed daily in the “8,” served as captain his senior year, and won the IRA Rowing Championship twice. He also led several campus organizations. Though an English major, he completed enough science coursework to enter Tulane University Medical School, where he became class president.During his first year at Tulane, he met Mary Martha Curd, then a sophomore at Sophie Newcomb College. Before their first date, her roommates predicted she would marry Philip. Four days after her graduation, she proved them correct by marrying this amazing man known for his independence, determination, offbeat humor, creative thinking, and deep compassion for all living beings.During his internship at Emory, Philip chose ophthalmology to be his specialty and then trained at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. As chief resident, he proposed allowing residents to see patients after hours at Wills, earning extra money with a staff doctor available as needed, rather than moonlighting at private offices - a longstanding change that benefited residents, the hospital, and the community.In 1976, after completing his residency at Wills Eye Hospital, Philip and his family moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he became an ophthalmology instructor at Bowman Gray School of Medicine. Soon after, he opened his solo practice. He also began a long relationship with the Eye and Human Tissue Bank, served as chief of staff at Hawthorne Medical Center, and was chief of Ophthalmology at Davie County Hospital. Despite a busy schedule, he always made time for his family, especially for dinners together, annual Seafarer Family Camp, and many wonderful trips over the years.Though trained in phacoemulsification cataract surgery, Philip was unable in the mid-1970s to convince Forsyth Hospital to endorse it. Committed to the best care for his patients, Philip offered the procedure at Davie Community Hospital for several years. Today the procedure is still standard practice.In the mid 1990s, Philip co-founded Independent Eye Care Providers, a group of ophthalmologists and optometrists from the Carolinas and Virginia. The organization later merged with Duke to form Community Eye Care. Over time the original group continued to grow and evolve, and was eventually sold to VSP Vision Plan in 2019.Philip began mission work in 1990 at a clinic in Mexico and continued serving in Kenya, Honduras, Peru, Nevis, Haiti, and in the United States, returning to several locations for many years. His dedication to patients of all backgrounds, lead him to studying Spanish and reading Spanish novels. After twenty years of seeing up to 80 patients a day, he donated his practice to Duke in 1999— a gift that was unheard of at the time. This allowed him to devote more time to mission work while continuing to serve patients through Duke Eye Center in Winston-Salem.In 2005, while working part-time, Philip earned his Master of Public Health from UNC Chapel Hill. As part of his studies, he completed a preceptorship at Emory University focused on HIV/AIDS, then traveled to Ahuas, Honduras to a remote Moravian clinic where his research helped inspire a mother-to-child HIV transmission prevention program.When the Community Care Center opened in Winston-Salem, Philip helped establish its Eye Care Program and volunteered there for more than twenty years. He considered caring for others a privilege and calling.Philip’s early education shaped his life. He later encouraged and made it possible for many to pursue higher education. When his children were young, he taught Sunday School and the catechetical class at Home Moravian Church. Beginning in 2007, he taught Introduction to Patient Care to first and second year Duke medical students, a role he treasured for eight years. It was important to him to encourage his students to be compassionate.His greatest joy was his family—Mary Martha, Martha Ann, and Ward—and later his three grandchildren. His playful humor, love of wordplay, and ability to lift others’ spirits became part of the family’s identity, including his son-in-law, Don. Over the years, the family welcomed students, Silvia, Gustaf, and Carston (Europe) and Marybeth (USA) into our home for six months to a year, all becoming part of the extended family to this day. The entire family is grateful to God for sharing Philip with us, as we now continue to hold him and many happy memories in our hearts.After caring for others over the years, the doctor became the patient due to Alzheimer’s disease. He received compassionate care from the doctors, nurses, and caregivers at Arbor Acres Retirement Community, for which the family is deeply grateful.Philip is survived by his wife of 54 years, Mary Martha; his daughter, Martha Ann Ferguson; his son, Philip Howard McKinley III (Ward); his son-in-law, Don Ferguson; his grandchildren, Will and Emma Ferguson, and Philip Howard McKinley IV, and many nieces and nephews.All are welcome to the graveside service to be held at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at Salem Cemetery with a memorial service following at 2:00 p.m. at Home Moravian Church. A reception will follow in the Parlor.In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Home Moravian Church, 529 S. Church St., Winston Salem, NC 27101; The Rise & Thrive Fund at Arbor Acres, 1240 Arbor Road, Winston-Salem 27104; or a charity of your choice. Condolences may be shared at www.salemfh.com.