[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 203 (Tuesday, November 23, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING THE LIFE OF GORDON ``MACK'' McKINLEY, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BRIAN BABIN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 23, 2021

  Mr. BABIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my 
friend, Gordon ``Mack'' McKinley, Jr., who passed away on Wednesday, 
November 10, 2021, at the age of 72.
  Mack and I grew up together in Beaumont, Texas, survived high school 
together and were roommates and fraternity brothers during college at 
the University of Texas.
  Mack was a guy you could count on in good times and bad times to 
always have a positive outlook. He learned it through an adversity that 
terrified the mothers of our generation and left its mark on those who 
survived it. But Mack was strong and resilient, and he never let polio 
define him.
  He was born on November 14, 1948, in Galveston, Texas, and named 
after his dad, Gordon McKinley, Sr. He was an only child, but a friend 
to many.
  Like many students at the University of Texas in Austin, Mack fell in 
love with the city and stayed on after graduation. In 1974, he opened a 
club called The Common Interest which quickly became a popular hangout 
and has been an Austin institution for the last 47 years. The Common 
Interest provided a great gathering place where sports games could be 
enjoyed with friends, songs could be sung and fun could be had by all, 
especially Mack, a huge fan of the University of Texas Longhorns.
  Mack also fell in love with a girl he met in the Common Interest, 
named Shannon Wilson, with whom he shared a happy married life for 45 
years. Mack and Shannon began their lives together in Austin, Texas in 
1976 and were blessed with three sons Michael, Kevin and Brandon. 
Shannon was the love of his life. He considered her and their family 
his greatest blessing and his greatest accomplishment throughout his 
life being a father. He was an enthusiastic fan and supporter of his 
three boys in the various sports they played. To this day, his son's 
jerseys still hang with pride on the walls of The Common Interest.
  Mack was an avid golfer all his life. A special gift from his sons a 
few years ago was a trip to the Master's Tournament in Augusta, 
Georgia.
  Mack never quit doing things on his own terms, overcoming physical 
limitations that may have caused others to give up. He accepted life's 
challenges, he worked hard, he was a loving son, husband, father and 
grandfather or ``Pops'' as he was known, and he was my lifelong friend 
and inspiration.
  I will miss him.
  Mack is survived by his wife, Shannon McKinley, his son Michael 
McKinley, wife Brie, kids Bodie and Kai, his son Kevin McKinley, wife 
Candace, kids Kaylee, Kenna, Kensi and Kason, and son Brandon McKinley, 
wife Amber, kids Dakota and Merritt. Mack is also survived by numerous 
cousins close to Dallas, Chicago and Nashville.
  Madam Speaker, today I honor my close friend and college roommate 
Mack McKinley. His example of fortitude and strength to overcome 
obstacles will not be forgotten, and my heartfelt prayers remain with 
his family and friends during this difficult time.

                          ____________________