Gary R. McKissick

Gary R. McKissick, born November 1, 1938, passed away on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. He was a lifelong resident of Akron, Ohio, where he attended Garfield High School and the University of Akron.

His exceedingly distinguished career began at PPG, where he spent 28 years becoming an expert in exterior curtain wall systems—also known as skyscrapers! During his tenure at PPG, he also partnered with Fred Ayers, creating Ayers and McKissick Inc., building residential homes throughout Summit County. In December 1987, he co-founded MK Architectural Metal, a provider of high-performance exterior wall systems. The company, which is run today by his son, David, has designed and built skyscrapers from San Francisco to New York City. Gary retired in 2014.

Sports were one of Gary’s great loves. He was a member of the swim team at the University of Akron and participated in countless leagues, including softball, bowling, and golf. One of his proudest moments was picking up his golf ball on Hole No. 7 at Firestone Country Club after achieving the coveted hole-in-one. Another proud achievement was earning the rank of Eagle Scout with Post # 2078 and being an Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop #64.

His all-time favorite pastime was traveling to Canada every year. The tradition began when he was a boy, and he continued it with his own family for many years. Eventually, it became an annual father-and-sons trip filled with moose sightings, hours of fishing, and extremely loud snoring!

His greatest love was his wife and high school sweetheart, Barbara. They were married in 1957 and spent 68 beautiful years together. They loved to travel, taking trips to Alaska, San Francisco, and many destinations along the East Coast. Together, they had four children, seven grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren. He was the most loving, fun, and supportive father and grandfather anyone could ask for.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara McKissick; his children, Kenneth McKissick, David (Sheryl) McKissick, and Carol Jackson (Bill); his grandchildren, Kristen Harsch, Keith Kiser, Kenneth (Michele) McKissick Jr., Kevin Burket, Jennifer (Chris) Vespoint, Lori (Matt) Shafner, and Amanda (Ryan) Uhle; and his great-grandchildren, Jeremy, Kameron, Marina, Violet, Lilly, Olivia, Piper, Logan, Cade, Sam, Porter, and Sutton.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Karen Fulton; his son-in-law, Daniel Fulton; and his parents, Glen and Lucille McKissick.

Family and friends will be received on Monday, June 22, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Hopkins Lawver Funeral Home, 547 Canton Rd., Akron, OH 44312. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, June 23, at 11:00 a.m., with one hour of visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Hillside Memorial Park.

Donations may be made in his honor to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Haven of Rest in Akron.