David T. 'Big Dave' Mckay

Champaign- David T. “Big Dave” McKay, 62, of Champaign passed away at 2:40 AM on Sunday, July 20, 2014 at his home. He was born on July 25, 1951 in Baltimore, MD, the son of Donald S. and Penelope T. Lowe McKay. He married Gayle A. Arnold on July 29, 1988 in Newport, IN. She survives. Surviving are his mother, Penelope T. Lowe Williams; two sisters, Eleanor McKay of Albuquerque, NM, Polly (Bill) Hansen and their children, Ian and Kelsey Hansen of Deerfield; mother-in-law, Marjorie Arnold; and a brother-in-law, Jay Arnold of Thomasboro. He was preceded in death by his father. David grew up in the Riderwood, MD area loving the water and fresh sea foods. He moved to the Chicago area in 1968 with his family and hitchhiked his way to Woodstock in 1969. David began as a mail carrier and attended Harper College before moving to the Champaign-Urbana area in 1973 to continue his education at the U of I College of Engineering. He worked at CERL, starting temporarily in 1987 and then moved to permanent in 1989. He retired in April of 2014. David enjoyed military history, especially the Civil War and WWII of which he had an extensive library. He built many WWII scale models over the years. He was also able to visit many of the famous Civil War battle fields. David also appreciated multiple forms of music from classical to Zappa. He also loved all movies and would attend Ebert Fest every year until his health declined. David also liked motorcycling whether across town or across the country, Friday night poker, and rainy days. David was a kind, generous, and intelligent man who could relate to anybody through his stories and had a diverse group of friends. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Per Davids wishes, there will be no services. Cremation rites will be accorded by Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center, Champaign Urbana Chapel. Please join Davids family in sharing memories, photos, and video through his tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.