Harrison B. Kinney

1921 - 2019

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Harrison Funeral Home

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Harrison Kinney Obituary

Harrison B. Kinney

Lexington, VA - Harrison B. Kinney, writer, died February 9, 2019, of heart failure. He was 97 years old and resided at Kendal-at-Lexington, in Lexington, Virginia, where he lived for eighteen years. He died surrounded by family and friends, and his companion of 35 years, Sandra Blanton.

Mr. Kinney reported for The New Yorker magazine from 1949 to 1954, was a senior editor of McCall's Magazine from 1955 to 1958, and later, an executive speech writer with IBM and a writer on the staff of IBM's Think Magazine. His articles and fiction appeared in major, large-circulation magazines, including The Saturday Evening Post, Collier's, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, The Reader's Digest, American Heritage, and The New York Times Book Review.

His books include a novel, Has Anybody Seen My Father? (1960, Simon & Schuster); The Last Supper of Leonardo Da Vinci (1953, Coward-McCann, based on one of his New Yorker "Talk of the Town" stories); children's books: The Lonesome Bear (1949) and The Kangaroo in the Attic (1960, both by McGraw-Hill); the definitive biography of James Thurber (James Thurber: His Life and Times, Henry Holt, 1995); and he edited The Thurber Letters (2002, Simon & Schuster).

Mr. Kinney was born in Aroostook County, Maine, on August 16, 1921, graduated from Houlton (ME) High School in 1939, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Washington & Lee University in 1947, and in 1949 received a master's degree in English literature from Columbia University. He served more than three years in the Army during World War II and was a captain in the Medical Administrative Corps upon separation.

He is survived by his former spouse, Doris Getsinger Kinney, a Life Magazine reporter, four children: Susan Kinney Henley of Charlestown, R.I., Barbara Lee Kinney of Croton-on-Hudson, NY, Joanne Kinney Smyth of Lexington, VA, John Harrison Kinney of Alexandria, VA; two grandchildren: Gabriel A. Sereni of Boulder, CO, and Elisabeth M. Sereni of Hollandale, FL; and three great-granddaughters.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date.

Arrangements by Harrison Funeral Home & Crematory, Lexington, VA.

Published by The Journal News on Feb. 14, 2019.
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Uncle Harrison was one of my favorite men of all time. Brilliant, witty and totally irreverent. I will always cherish the memories of his visits. Love to all of the family.

Susan Kinney

Family

March 5, 2019

May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well lived.

February 15, 2019

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