Robert McConkey Obituary

Robert B. McConkey, Sr. (Bob), 82, died on Sunday, August 3, 2025. Born in Brooklyn, NY on April 29, 1943, he was the son of the late E.B. McConkey and Millie McConkey (Johnson). Bob was the eldest of 4 children and the only son. He graduated from East Tennessee State University. After graduation, he proudly enlisted in the U.S. Army where he became a Cobra helicopter pilot, achieving the rank of Captain. After serving in the Vietnam War, he later became a respiratory therapist working in several hospitals around the state, specializing in sleep studies. He is survived by his children, Robert B. McConkey, Jr. (Julie), Melissa Johnson (Tim) and Mary K. McConkey; sisters, Candace Galliher (Gary), Vicki Boozer (Alton), and Sally Brown (Tony). He is also survived by 7 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. The service for Mr. McConkey will be held at 1 o'clock, Friday, August 15th, at Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, 7600 Trenholm Road Ext., Columbia, with the Rev. Joe Copeland officiating. Burial will follow the service in Fort Jackson National Cemetery. The family will receive friends prior to the service at the funeral home beginning at 12 o'clock. Charitable donations can be made to: Big Red Barn Retreat, 8024 Winnsboro Rd., Blythewood, SC 29016, or to Wounded Warrior Project www.woundedwarriorproject.com.