Ralph McKinney

Ralph Cameron McKinney Sr, passed away on June 18, 2026. Born on 02/01/1945, Ralph was the only child of Lewis and Ann McKinney. As a youth he loved baseball and the Phillies, spending every year at the Phillies training camp in Florida. He graduated from Brandywine HS, and later Gettysburg College, with a degree in Journalism and broadcasting. After two years of Army service during the Vietnam War, Ralph went on to become one of the most popular on air personalities at WAMS. He amassed an amazing, almost untouched, record collection during these years. Following his time at WAMS, he and his wife Nancy, opened The Ye Olde Tavern, on Market St., where they brought in such national acts as The Temptations, Four Tops, and many more. He spent the remainder of his career as a prominent entertainment consultant. Ralph loved to run, and was particularly proud of his streak of running ten miles or more a day for 27 straight years, which even got him a write up in Runner’s World magazine. In his later years, Ralph loved dining out, trying as many restaurants as he possibly could. Ralph is survived by his wife Nancy(Reed) McKinney, his daughter Kelli(Eddie), and his son R.J. We would like to thank all the staff at The Lorelton Memory Care Unit, for taking such great care of my dad these last several months, as well as the hospice care at Wilmington Hospital, for making his last few days as comfortable as possible. Services will be private. 

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