Dennis Creighton McKay

1946 - 2023

McKAY

DENNIS CREIGHTON McKAY

Dennis Creighton McKay, of Chevy Chase, MD, and Bethany Beach, DE, died peacefully June 4, 2023, at Johns Hopkins Hospital, surrounded by his beloved wife Tina, son Brendan, and daughter-in-law Jennifer.

Born on February 22, 1946, in Chicago, he was the eldest of Curtis and Helen McKay's five children. He spent his formative years in Bethesda.

At McDonald's Raw Bar in Bethesda, Dennis met the love of his life, Tina, and they exchanged vows in 1980. He was a husband, father, and granddad. He was a true friend. He was a man of principle who was open to changing his mind when presented with new information. He was a concrete man, and most of all, he was a writer.

For 25 years, he owned and operated McKay Concrete, a small business that he ran with honesty and integrity, earning the respect of both his customers and employees. However, it wasn't until 2005 that his true calling came to fruition, and he embarked on a new adventure as an author. Within a year, he published his debut novel, "Fallow's Field." Over the years, he went on to pen 12 more books, including "Once Upon Wisconsin" and "A Boy from Bethesda." His dedication and talent marked him as an accomplished and prolific writer, and his passing leaves the world bereft of a dream chaser. Dennis is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Tina; his son Brendan and daughter-in-law, Jenn; his adored grandchildren, George and Helen; and his siblings, Suzanne Walsh, Maureen (Mike) Gidding, Nancy (Bob) Whyte, and Curtis (Karen) McKay. He also leaves behind numerous family who will cherish his memory.

A memorial service to honor Dennis' life will be held on June 22, 2023, at 11 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Kensington, MD. Following the service, a reception will take place at the Rock Creek Mansion in Bethesda, MD.

The family requests donations to the Writer's Center in Bethesda in lieu of flowers, as this is where his pursuit of writing went from a dream to a reality. https://www.writer.org/get-involved/donate/