It is with regret that we announce the passing of Jeanmarie Anne McKinney, age 83, of Wilmington, DE, who passed away on Monday, June 2, 2025, at Wilmington Christiana Hospital. Jeanmarie was born in New York City, where she also grew up, later attending Good Shepherd School in Inwood and St. Catherine Academy in the Bronx. Jeanmarie was a proud graduate of St. Vincent’s Hospital Nursing School, where she received her registered nurse license in 1965. A lifelong learner, she received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Long Island University - CW Post in 1977, a Master of Science in Nursing from Wilmington University in 2001, and a Certificate in Legal Nurse Consulting from Widener University in 2006.
While in high school, Jeanmarie met her husband Brian, and the couple married in 1966 and moved to Delaware in 1977. Jeanmarie served as an ICU nurse at St. Francis Hospital before the couple established Quality Care Home Health which they owned and operated for over a decade. Jeanmarie went on to work for the Division of Long Term Care within the Department of Health and Social Services where she served as a nurse surveyor, nursing supervisor, and Quality Assurance Administrator for thirty years. She retired in June of 2020 after decades of public and community service.
Jeanmarie was an active member of her community, serving on parents’ associations at St. Edmond’s Academy and Archmere Academy, where both of her sons attended. She served on the boards of both Catholic Charities and Ministry of Caring, was a devoted parishioner of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, and a dedicated alumna in the St. Vincent’s Alumni Association.
Jeanmarie was a regular at the Brandywine YMCA, exercising there regularly dating back to the early 1980s. She loved spending time with her friends and family, was an enthusiastic Boston Celtics fan, and a devoted nana to her grandchildren who she simply adored. Jeanmarie and Brian were married for 53 years before Brian’s passing in 2020, and she remained a loving mother to her two sons and their spouses, and a loveable grandmother to her three grandchildren.
She is survived by her two sons Garth (wife, Tina) of North Reading, MA, and Ryan (husband, Tony) of New York, NY; and her three grandchildren, Colin, Ryan and Meghan McKinney of North Reading, MA.
A viewing will be held at McCrery & Harra Funeral Home, 3924 Concord Pike, Wilmington, on Thursday, June 5th from 5pm – 7pm. A funeral mass will be held on Friday, June 6th at 11am at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, 4701 Weldin Road, Wilmington. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Jeanmarie’s name to the American Cancer Society, or to Catholic Charities – Diocese of Wilmington.
