Rozanne Rae Moore McKinney died on November 4, 2019 in Corpus Christi, Texas after a brief illness. She had been living in Beeville, Texas for the last few months having moved from Fairfield, Texas, which had been ‘home’ for 25 years.
Rozanne was born in Kansas City, Missouri on January 23, 1953. She and her family moved to Whittier, California where she spent her childhood. After graduating from La Verne College in California, she moved to Houston to be closer to her parents who had moved there. In Houston, Rozanne attended law school at the University of Houston Law Center where she met her future husband Sam McKinney III. After graduation, Rozanne and Sam opened a law firm in Bellaire, Texas: McKinney & McKinney, P.C.
She and her husband, Sam moved to Fairfield from Houston in 1994, and opened a branch of their law firm. She loved being part of a small town and was interested in meeting people, joining organizations and learning all she could about the history of the area and of Fairfield. After her husband’s death in 2006, Rozanne closed their law firm but continued to use her legal skills to help her community by doing pro bono work and teaching part-time at McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas. She was an avid reader, a member of the History Club, member of the Fairfield-Harmony Presbyterian Church, church pianist for many years, pianist for various musical events in Fairfield and neighboring towns, dedicated long-time member of Common Cause, and was very involved in animal rescue.
Rozanne was preceded in death by her husband, Sam McKinney, III; her mother, Maxine Moore; her father in law and mother in law, Sam and Ottie Mae McKinney; her grandparents, Virgal and Otis Moore and her great aunt, Mary Blondin.
She is survived by her father, Ray Moore, of Memphis, Tennessee; sisters, Annette Sweet of Kirksville, Missouri and Cindy (Daryl) Bernskoetter of Springfield, Missouri; nieces, Samantha Sweet and Mariel Sweet of Kirksville, Missouri; Grace (Adam) St. Peter and Olivia Bernskoetter of Springfield, Missouri; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Dr. Frank and Dr. Anne Dehnisch of Beeville, Texas,; nephews, Rusty Dehnisch (Kelley Darling) of Silver Spring, Maryland, Scott Dehnisch (Jen Switzer) of Alexandria, Virginia; a grandniece, Ottie Mae Dehnisch, of Alexandria, Virginia, and numerous friends.
Rozanne was very loved and will greatly missed. She had a contagious laugh, was a very kind, thoughtful and generous friend and had a very tender heart for all animals and wouldn’t hesitate (for very long) to bring home and nuture kittens, cats, puppies, and dogs, as well as a surfeit of orphaned skunk kits and a mole, named Philby, that the cat dragged in.
The family wishes to thank the ICU staff and Palliative Care Team at Christus Spohn Shoreline Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas for their attentive care during the last weeks of Rozanne’s life. The family especially wants to thank Mearilyn Demmings of Fairfield, Texas who was a close friend and helper to Rozanne for the last years of her life: “You made life better”.
A celebration of her life was held at the Fairfield-Harmony Presbyterian Church, 119 W. Main St., Fairfield, Texas 75840 on Thursday, November 14 at 10:30. The service will be conducted by Rev. Tom Prentiss. Burial will be at a later time at the Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville, Texas where Rozanne will be laid to rest by her husband, Sam, in the McKinney family plot.
Memorials may be given to the Fairfield-Harmony Presbyterian Church (119 FW. Main St., Fairfield, Texas 75840), Common Cause (https://www.commoncause.org), or to the Limestone Animal Rescue Adoption Shelter (https://www.larashouseshelter.org).
