Dylan Busby
dylan@silsbee-bee.com
The Silsbee Bee

SILSBEE — For generations of residents, Milton “Pete” McKinney has been synonymous with service, leadership and quiet generosity. Now, after a lifetime devoted to his hometown, the respected community figure is stepping into retirement, leaving behind a legacy woven deeply into the fabric of Silsbee.
“Pete is the kindest, sweetest, most generous man I have ever known,” said Darrell Sheffield of Farmers Funeral Home, reflecting on decades of working alongside McKinney.
Born in Silsbee in 1937, McKinney was one of 13 children raised by Albert and Myra McKinney, owners of McKinney & Son Plumbing and leaders in a local Pentecostal church. He graduated from Silsbee High School in 1955, where he played football and developed a lifelong devotion to the Tigers before earning a civil engineering degree from Texas A&M University in 1960.
His career began with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, taking him to Galveston, Brownsville and Ingleside. But in 1974, McKinney returned home to continue the family plumbing business.
Elected Hardin County commissioner for Precinct 1 in 1978, McKinney later served two terms as Hardin County judge after his 1981 election. He would go on to work as a county engineer for Orange County Road and serve as a Silsbee city councilman, earning a reputation as a steady and knowledgeable leader.
Even after retiring professionally in 1999, McKinney continued serving the community for more than 20 years as the volunteer caretaker of Resthaven Cemetery. He maintained burial records, managed plots, oversaw contributions and worked closely with local funeral homes to ensure the grounds were cared for with dignity.
“Helen and I have always enjoyed working with Pete,” said Steve Cooper of Broussard’s Mortuary. “He is very knowledgeable not only about the cemetery, but also about the people of Silsbee. He’ll be greatly missed and we hope he enjoys his retirement.”
McKinney’s daughter, Shelley Cooper, said her father’s commitment to others never wavered.
“Dad was such a community man, so involved, offering a wealth of expertise during his prime,” she said. “At this stage in his life, poor health, inability to hear, the changing times, technology, he misses his independence and being able to contribute.”
Married to his wife Janet, a fellow Silsbee native, for 62 years, McKinney is the father of four and grandfather to nine, with 11 great-grandchildren. These days, he finds joy spending time with “momma,” visiting family and “put-putting” around on his golf cart.
An avid fisherman and gardener, he once cultivated nearly 100 satsuma and citrus trees before the 2021 freeze wiped out the orchard.
Now bravely facing cancer and the challenges of age, McKinney does so with the same dignity that defined his public life. Though retiring from active service, his influence endures in the institutions he helped shape and the countless lives he touched.
In Silsbee, Pete McKinney is more than a former public servant, he is a lasting example of what it means to dedicate a life to community.