Peppy Jack McKinney, 81, passed on into the loving arms of Jesus on Friday, March 18, 2011. Peppy was born November 2, 1929 in El Paso, Texas to J.T. (“Mac”) and Clarice Erma McKinney. He married Judith (“Judy”) V. Basden on February 10, 1956 in Dallas, Texas and they divorced on July 26, 1976. They had four sons, Mark, Jim, John Michael and Jack. Peppy and his father Mac farmed in the Pecos area from the mid-1950’s to 1976. Peppy grew up in the El Paso valley and lived in El Paso, Esperanza and Ft. Hancock as a child. He was named Jack Thomas at birth but was such an active child that his parents called him “Peppy”. He legally changed his name to Peppy Jack in 1948. Peppy graduated from Ysleta High School in 1948. He was drawn to the world of rodeo at an early age, watching his father and uncles roping in local arenas as a child. He participated in his first rodeo at the age of nine. In 1947 and 1948, he participated in the National Championship High School Rodeo in calf roping, finishing as high as fourth place. Peppy continued his rodeo career in college at Texas Western (now known as UTEP) and the University of Texas in Austin. Peppy was a long-time member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Assoc. He started competing professionally in 1947 in calf roping, steer roping and team tying and continued to compete professionally until 1988. One of the biggest thrills of Peppy’s rodeo career was tying the fastest calf at Madison Square Garden in 1955. Peppy served on the Board of Directors of the Pecos Rodeo for a number of years and was the arena director from 1960 until 1969. Thanks to his untiring efforts, Peppy was instrumental in getting steer roping approved for the Pecos Rodeo for the first time in 1966. He also assisted in bringing the National Finals Steer Roping to Pecos in 1969. On June 25, 2010, he was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame in Pecos. While in college Peppy became a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity (SAE) and was a life member of that organization. He was also a veteran, serving his country in the U.S. Army (1953-54) in Japan and Okinawa, as well as stateside at Ft. Bliss and Ft. Hood. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mac and Erma McKinney and son John Michael. Peppy is survived by his son, Mark and wife Paula of Midland; son Jim and wife Monica of Austin; son Jack and wife KaKi of Cary, North Carolina; grandchildren, Matthew McKinney of Dallas; Sean, Nina and Jett McKinney of Austin; and Stephen and Allie McKinney of Cary, NC. He is also survived by several cousins and their families.
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