Longtime business owner and community servant Vernon McKinzie will be laid to rest Tuesday.
McKinzie passed away back in May at the age of 89 and was best known for being the longtime owner of McKinzie Pest Control. McKinzie and his wife Nancy began the business as a branch of Schendel Pest Control in 1960 before later purchasing the business and overseeing operations up until his retirement back in 2025, when he sold the business to Plunkett’s Pest Control.
McKinzie’s work in the pest control business expanded beyond Emporia, having twice served as the Kansas Pest Control Association president and also president of the National Pest Management Association. Locally, McKinzie was heavily involved in the community through many avenues, including serving as a Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 165, for which he received the Silver Beaver Award, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Emporia and as a member of the Lyon County Commission.
McKinzie was also well known for his passionate support of Emporia State Athletics, both as a fan and as a former public address announcer for Emporia State Baseball. ESU Assistant Athletic Director in charge of Media Relations Don Weast remembered McKinzie as a dedicated and “unique” presence in the press box.
Outside of his fandom and PA role, Weast says McKinzie was always ready to lend a hand to the Hornets no matter the need and no matter the sport.
McKinzie is survived by his wife Nancy, two sons, a sister, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Funeral services will be held at 2 pm Tuesday at Grace United Methodist Church.
A memorial in McKinzie’s memory has been established at Grace United Methodist Church, with contributions able to be sent in care of Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home, P.O. Box 175, Emporia, Kansas 66801.
