Timothy Isaiah McKinnell, 18, of the Painttown Community in Cherokee, N.C., joined Heaven’s Orchestra on Monday, March 10, 2025. Timothy was born June 16, 2006, to Kansas “Kandee” Parker of Cherokee, N.C. and Robert McKinnell.
Timothy loved his family and always said his best friend was his brother, Joshua. Timothy was painfully shy, but once he let you in, he showed his true heart of gold that was sprinkled with a dusting of sarcasm. He was eager to help anyone who asked and always did it with a smile.
Timothy appreciated the wonders of nature and expressed amazement at each brilliant sunset, summer thunderstorm, foggy morning, or swirling creek. He shared photographs of freshly fallen snow, a cloud formation he found to be special, or the tiniest flower. Timothy could sit for hours on the mountaintops listening to Earth speak to him while he looked across the ridges toward the stars where he longed to be. From birth, he was enamored with outer space and knew that was where he was destined to go.
Timothy struggled with his Epilepsy but was determined to live life to the fullest. He did not let the diagnosis hold him back from working towards his dreams. He chose to attend the University of North Dakota where he was accepted into the Aerospace Engineering program. Timothy loved playing the clarinet. He built on his years of jazz, concert and marching bands with Swain Middle and Swain High by excitedly becoming a member of the University of North Dakota Pride of the North Marching Band.
Timothy is preceded in death by his cousin, Christopher Parker of Okeechobee, Fla.; great aunts, Edwina Lambert, Henrietta Lambert, and Pamela Crowe, of Cherokee; special uncle, Clarence Welch of Cherokee; maternal great-grandfather, Henry Lambert; paternal great-grandparents, Junior Wright and Iva Lee Wright, all of Cherokee; and great-grandmother, Lottie Tiger Huff of Okeechobee, Fla.
Timothy is survived by his mother, Kandee Parker; brother, Joshua Lanning; uncle, Robert “Bo” Parker (Van); aunts, Kayla and Kaitlyn Wright; cousin, Jackson Parker; grandmother, Deetra Huff (Allen), and grandfather, Benjamin Wright (Dianne); along with numerous great aunts, great uncles, cousins and friends.
A funeral Service will be held, Wednesday, March 19 at 12 p.m. at the Cherokee Baptist Church with the Rev. Percy Cunningham officiating. The family will receive friends an hour prior to the service. Burial will follow the service at the Henry Lambert Family Cemetery.
The family will have a dinner following the ceremony at the Fellowship Hall of the Cherokee Baptist Church.
Timothy loved vibrant colors so please dress in colorful clothes to honor his memory.
Pall bearers will be Detective Ashley Cromer, Jason Cole, Ben Gunter, Ryver Gunter, Aaron Lambert, and Joshua Lanning.