Theophilus Elisha McKinney III passed away, surrounded by Mark Ewing, his loving husband of 43 years, and by his beautiful family, in San Francisco, on June 11, 2025.  Theo cherished that Marie, Bob, Linda, and longtime friend Jude joined Mark at the bedside. Loved-ones felt there also, the presence of his father and mother, Theophilus McKinney Jr. and Sarah Evans McKinney.  
     A well-trained and successful Musician, Artist, and Designer, Theo was born in Key West, and grew up in New York and Delaware, where he attended Holy Cross High School before moving on to General Motors and Art Center Design Institutes, as well as living and studying the French Language for several years in Aix-en-Provence, France, where Mark was also a Linguistics student.  
     Both polyglots, they traveled the World together, cultural ambassadors learning and striving to speak to locals in the native tongues.  Exotic locales they visited entered organically into Theo's Music, Art, and daily life. These and his quite skillfully rendered gourmet dishes began to subtly reflect France, Thailand, Spain and other favored places.  
     The always closely-bonded couple felt a deep link with Mexico, knew it well, and much enjoyed the Arquitecture and Archaeology of its diverse regions. Theo held many prestigious degrees and certificates from fine Tourism and Hospitality training institutes, including life achievement awards; and he designed interiors and performed at trending and historic inns, bistros, and tourist centers, leaving elements of his unique spirit and style throughout the City he and Mark called their adopted home for over three decades.
     He was, and will always be, a treasured member if the Joie de Vivre Hospitality and Saha Yemeni Restaurants where he designed interiors, performed, hired talent, and was an innovative, visionary front office and tour manager. 
     In very Theo mystical, psychic moments, as  touched, grieving, and grateful friends, colleagues, admirers, and mentees move forward, when attending the scheduled nightly live music hours at many trending neighborhood venues, they just might imagine that they see for moment in a flash of sparkles and colored lights, Theo up there singing his touching songs and playing his beloved keyboard with his infectious joy.  
     Theo's contribution to the City's landscape actually goes back to the trendy 1980's when he designed evocative windows and interiors, including for Pride Celebrations, at the Casto District's iconic Avant-Garde clothing and gift store Headlines, and his amazing foamcore sculptures are still seen all over town and in private homes.  
     Folks will surely miss his cheerful, colorful wardrobe, and sometimes at dusk, walking on a steep downtown hill, they might also see his spirit with his flashy shoes, belts, and ties walking by with that cart that carries the musical equipment he was so proud of.
     Theo was a true Wunderkind who used his gifts and energy to create and inspire, composing music as well as writing poems, plays, and fiction since his teenage years on; and his six cherished neices and others cherish the dazzling things he built for them growing up.  There is now a second generation of children around the World playing at home with the medieval-style lifelike miniature stucco castles he built for their parents when they were little. 
     All who knew him are overjoyed and comforted that Theo's legacy and sweet imprint in so many lives is ensured to be eternal. In Aix, France, on a windy Mistral afternoon, still vividly remembered, locals may imagine seeing his special energy and call out, "Théo, mon Ami!".  
     In addition to Mark, adoring colleagues, brother-in-law Bob, the six neices and two nephews he was so very proud of, as well as a large, caring extended family and devoted friendship circle, Theo is survived by his dear sisters Marie, Margaret, and Linda along with their families, which now include grandchildren, also so proud of their "Uncle T".  
     Theo's parents, Aunt Eloise, his loyal Chocolate-Point Siamese Prahjahn, and other cherished souls went first and surely were there to meet him with joy when he crossed, just as he will be right there to meet Mark one day. The couple took several spiritual journies to India, including Varanasi, the country's Hindu Vatican; and they were very moved there, as they were when they followed the Cholon circuit of holy temples in Saigon. 
     Theo was a spiritual man, learned in philosophies and religions, seeking to see the divine in each; and those left behind will be proud and relieved to know that he is watching over them, now that he's singing and playing keyboard with the Angels.  
     His influence and the admiration for him here on Earth are strong.  Many tributes, Holy Masses, & remembrance celebrations are being held for him bicoastally, including a September live-music session in his honor with drinks, memorabelia, and reminiscings about his life from the microphone.  He would be thankful and honored, and touched, as those left behind are to have known and loved him. He loved us here too much for this to be a real goodbye.  Not to worry: We'll all see Theo again...