Dr. Sewell Rayburn McKinney, 93, of Memphis, Tennessee, passed away Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
He was born June 21, 1932, in Jellico, Tennessee, of Ouida Cornelia Stair McKinney and William Fayburn McKinney, both deceased.
Sewell graduated from Knoxville High School 1950, University of Tennessee College of Dentistry 1955. He served in the State of Virginia Public Health Service and then as Assistant Dental Surgeon, United States Public Health Service until 1958. In 1958 he began his dental practice in Memphis, Tennessee, that continued until 2019. His professional associations were the Memphis Dental Society (president, 1999), Tennessee Dental Society, the American Dental Society and many professional study groups. He was a member of the American College of Dentists and was awarded the Tennessee Dental Society’s Award of Excellence and the American College of Dentists Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He was a member of Chickasaw Country Club in Memphis.
Dr. McKinney was a member of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral of West Tennessee, serving the chapter, visitation committees and the choir.
He leaves his wife of 45 years, Robbie Ann Thompson McKinney (formerly of the Pansy community); his sister, Sherry Goetz of Concord, California; his sons, Martin McKinney (Leslie) and Ted McKinney; his daughter, Mary Todd McKinney Bartholomew (Chris); grandchildren, Natalie and John Eamon Bartholomew; nephew, Joe Shannon Thompson (April); and great nieces, Juliette Elizabeth Thompson and Josie Campbell.
Dr. McKinney gratefully acknowledges the years of excellent and faithful service of Virginia Dugard assisting him in patient treatment. Dr. McKinney made wonderful patients and friends in practicing dentistry for 61 years. He took great pride in encouraging young dentists to get involved in the professional association and helped shepherd them into leadership positions. His great saying to his patients was “only floss the teeth you want to keep.”
He led by example through his workout routine at Chickasaw Country Club and his daily swimming with wife Robbie at 5:30 A.M. at the University of Memphis.
He and his wife Robbie, whom he has known for 50 years, were scuba divers, sailors, tennis and racket ball players as well as participants in numerous adventure sports. He liked to say that he had to get involved in adventure sports and activities to keep up with this wife. They were a team. You seldom saw one without the other. He enjoyed the Memphis Opera, National Met Opera and Memphis Symphony.
Robbie says we went from the tops of mountains to the bottom of the ocean and everything in-between.
Funeral services were Friday, June 12, 2026, at St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral by Canale Funeral Directors of Memphis, TN (online register: www.canalefuneraldirectors.com).
A graveside service will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Pansy Cemetery by Ralph Robinson and Son Funeral Directors of Pine Bluff, AR (online register: www.RobinsonFuller.com).
In lieu of flowers Memorial Gifts may be directed to the UT College of Dentistry via the UTHSC Office of Advancement, 62 S Dunlap, Suite 500, Memphis, TN 38163; or St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral 700 Poplar Ave Memphis, TN 38105.