Jock James McKinstry

DOYLESTOWN, BUCKS COUNTY, PA. – Jock James McKinstry died Monday, May 6, 2024, in Doylestown in the presence of his dearly loved wife, Olive. Jock (Jacques) lived a rich, long life amid his brave accommodation of and struggle with myotonic dystrophy type 1, an inherited neuromuscular disease that causes progressive muscle weakness and wasting. Just weeks earlier he had celebrated his 60th birthday surrounded by family and friends – a milestone he had not expected to reach.

Jock was born April 17, 1964, in Doylestown, the youngest child of the late Marie Webster McKinstry and Robert C.J. McKinstry. In addition to his wife, he is survived by four of his siblings, Anne McKinstry-Kuehm (Stephen), Karen L. Webster (Marshall Wright), Sara M. Webster (Carter van Dyke) and Susan Webster Rosen (Craig). He is also survived by his nephew, John Fowler (Melissa); brother Robert C.J. McKinstry Jr. and sister Irene McKinstry; many Webster and McKinstry nieces and nephews; and close friends from his youth. Besides his parents, an older brother, Mark K. Webster, predeceased him.

Jock lived a full, busy childhood at Owl Ridge Farm in Gardenville, Plumstead Township, Pa., where he and his next-older sister Anne, as the new babies, brought the number of kids to six. Jock used to make the family’s apple pies and made wine with his brother Mark. He attended the local elementary school but spent very happy high school years at Solebury, a private school nearby, from which he graduated in 1983.

Even as Jock’s disease progressed and he became more physically disabled, he retained his clever mind, keen sense of humor, deep love of family and very sharp hearing right to the end. Jock loved a good party and any opportunity to be with his family. He is remembered by his sisters as a beautiful blonde boy and handsome man, and by all who knew him as kind, generous and big-hearted.

After high school, Jock made his way to Florida and a job working for a large theater and movie production company and equipment rental house. He also worked as a gaffer on several movies including his favorite, “Last of the Mohicans.” When the business he worked for downsized during the 2008-2009 recession, he moved to New York City. Living in a flat in the Bronx, he found employment with a large downtown sporting goods store before switching to a job with another production company and equipment rental house.

After losing this job for health reasons, Jock entered George Mason University in Fairfax County, Va., to major in education. As part of a course, he traveled to Barcelona where he learned to speak Spanish. With his Bachelor of Arts degree, he found substitute teaching jobs in the area for a couple of years but was unable to support himself. As an alternative, in 2011 he began teaching overseas, initially for two semesters in Korea before relocating to China. There “Mr. Mac” taught English and Science for half a year at Kunshan International School in 2012, then trained with Shanghai International Studies to teach language and culture for international projects. Jock worked with this last program until late 2016, when his progressive disability forced him to retire.

Jock met Chunjuan Wang (Olive) in Shanghai when he visited from Kunshan for his 48th birthday. They married in his home town on June 21, 2014. Both eager travelers, he and Olive took exciting trips every chance they got. Honeymooning in Malaysia, hang gliding over his favorite beach in Boracay, Philippines, hiking mountain trails in Qingdao in Shandong Province and beaching it in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, are just a few of the many vacations they took in North America and Asia, even as his disease progressed relentlessly.

After his retirement and celebrating Christmas 2016 in Bucks County with his family, Jock and Olive returned to Shanghai to prepare for a February 2017 move stateside. They lived at his mother’s home for two years before moving to Michigan, where Olive had landed a new job with the assistance of Jock’s nephew John Fowler. However, with Jock’s health and mobility declining rapidly, he and Olive moved from Michigan to Doylestown in October 2023 to stay with his sister Sara and Carter. His family and friends rallied to supplement Olive’s hands-on care for their little brother while swapping stories, engaging in meaningful conversation and spending memorable hours in laughter with Jock through what was to be his final winter and spring.

Memorial services were held privately.

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