Carl Clifton McKinney

Carl Clifton McKinney, husband, father, brother, & “Poppi,” passed away 15 April 2022. Born 12 February 1940 in San Marcos, TX to “Mac” & Nelda McKinney. He graduated from RCHS in Big Lake, TX in 1957, went to college at Texas A&M, & joined the army in 1961 (stationed: South Korea & Turkey). Returning home, he finished his BA at UTEP. He originally wanted to go into farming, but the experience in other countries & cultures gave him a desire to pursue a career in international business. While going to school, Carl married Cheré Horton in 1965 - his grandfather officiated the service. They moved to Phoenix so he could go to the International School of Business at Thunderbird to study Latin American Studies. He worked for Wilbur Ellis as a commodity trader in Peruvian fishmeal in the Bay Area. Eventually, he became president of Westland Pacific in Fresno, CA. In 1977, Carl, Cheré, & their 3 daughters moved to Santiago, Chile, where he started the company Productos Alimenticios Panda Limitada, later introducing affordable ice cream to the working class & revolutionizing the industry. It was bought by Nestlé & became the subject of a Harvard Business Review. He also introduced raspberries into Chile, becoming a source of exports for the country. After returning to California for a year, the family moved to Colonia Dublán in Chihuahua, Mexico, where he ran Fruteros Asociados, a peach processing plant. Two years later, Carl and Cheré brought their girls, Shani, Alissa, & Rachel, to Mesa, AZ where he started Carl McKinney & Company, Inc. selling new/used refrigeration equipment internationally. He loved to fish, spend time with his family, read, travel - especially driving on long road trips, & had a love affair with cheese enchiladas, tomatoes, & onions. Carl is survived by his wife Cheré; daughters: Shani Crookshanks (Mike), Alissa Lawlor (Tom), Rachel McKinney; grandchildren: Sandra Hibbard, Sabrina Larson (Drew), Jarrett Lawlor (Haley), Landen Lawlor, Isaac Lawlor; great grandchildren, Odyn Lawlor, Avery Morris; & brother Charles.