- Date Of Birth: December 14, 1958
- Date Of Death: April 5, 2020
- State: Illinois
Timothy Z. McKillip, 61, passed away at 7:15 pm on April 5, 2020, at his home in Phoenix, Arizona, after a courageous, unwavering battle against brain cancer. Tim was born December 14, 1958, in Galesburg, Illinois, the son of William and Betty (Belt) McKillip.
He graduated from Galesburg High School, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Management and Communications, with magna cum laude honors, from Concordia University. While living in Galesburg, Tim was employed by Yemm Sales & Leasing, Galesburg Hospitals’ Ambulance Service and the City of Galesburg. He married Diane (Loomis) Larson December 26, 1995, and they moved to St. Louis, Missouri, in January 1996. While in St. Louis, Tim worked as a scrum master and lead EDI engineer at UniGroup, lead application analyst for IBM and Sara Lee Corporation, and manager for commercial accounts for ELCO Chevrolet. After 23 years, Tim and Diane moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where Tim worked as a scrum master for Republic Services until his death.
Tim was known for his thoughtful, calm demeanor. He was patient, humble, wise and kind. He had a passion for music, listening to country music, playing his guitars and going anywhere to see live music. He also sang in church choirs and planned to play for nursing home residents after he retired. Tim was a runner, completing five marathons, numerous half marathons and countless shorter distance races, as well as competing in a few triathlons. He was proud to serve as “Coach Tim” for half-marathoners for many years, and he delighted in his teams’ successes. Tim was an avid St. Louis Cardinals baseball and Blues hockey fan, and he followed NASCAR racing, consistently rooting for the Chevy drivers. Tim also enjoyed sailing his 25-foot Catalina sailboat, golfing and traveling, and he dearly loved spending time with family and friends.
Tim is survived by his wife, Diane, of Phoenix, AZ, and two daughters, Christine (Kyle) Danielson of Fort Atkinson, WI, and Amy (Bryan Anderson) Bronaugh of Dahinda, IL. He also is survived by grandchildren Jacob and Cameron Darst; Aubrey, Nolan and Nina Bronaugh; Kylie Danielson and Jake Cabrera; brothers John (Kathy) McKillip, Jim (Peggy) McKillip and Tom (Carolyn) McKillip; and several dear nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his father-in-law, Forrest Loomis; his mother-in-law, Betty Loomis; and his brother-in-law, Scott Loomis.
