Sidney Francis McKenna

Sidney Francis “Sid” McKenna, 93, of North Fort Myers, FL, passed away on July 10th, 2026. Sid was born October 25, 1932, in Sioux City, IA, to Denver and Margaret (Sheahan) McKenna, and grew up in Waterloo, IA, with his older sister, Cheryl.

Sid, known to many as Bud during his youth, graduated from Sacred Heart Catholic School and attended Northwestern, Butler, and the University of Iowa before enlisting in the U.S. Navy for pilot training. While stationed in Pensacola, FL, he met Sara “Sally” Kenny of Palm Beach, FL, whom he married in 1955. Together, they moved to Waterloo, IA, where they raised five wonderful children and built the family that would remain the center of his world; his family was everything to him.

In Waterloo, Sid was active in the Elks Club, the Rotary Club, the Knights of Columbus, and Sunnyside Country Club. It was there that he transformed the family photography business into a national brand. A man of vision and enterprise, Sid founded McKenna Professional Imaging, a multi-location photographic imaging business serving professional photographers throughout the United States. It was a business he built with great pride and retired from in 1997.

Sid was also a lover of the water. An avid boater, he spent his childhood summers on Lake Kabetogama in Minnesota, boated the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes as a young adult, and completed the esteemed Great Loop (the circumnavigation of the northeastern U.S., down the Mississippi River, across the Gulf of Mexico and Florida, up the East Coast, and across the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes), a trip that included many friends and family. His love of the water eventually drew him south.

On July 3, 1998, Sid married the love of his life, Karen Hagedorn, in Racine, WI. After retiring, Sid and Karen settled in Fountain Hills, AZ, and later in Cape Coral, FL, building a home and boating with new and old friends alike.

To say that Sid never met a stranger would be an understatement. Anyone who knew him quickly learned that a conversation with Sid was always engaging. He was a man with a big personality and even bigger opinions, which he was never shy about sharing. Charming and spontaneous, Sid could fill a room with a good story or a perfectly timed response.

There was never a birthday, Valentine’s Day, or anniversary when his five children, their spouses, significant others, or their kids did not receive a card with words underlined or a sentiment added, along with his standard check and a note to “have a beer on me.” He would regularly phone his friends and schoolmates (high school graduating class of ’50) to touch base and reminisce. He lived such a full and healthy life that he eventually enlisted his daughter Jamie to locate other living acquaintances so he could check in on them.

Sid was preceded in death by his first wife, Sally (2005), and his cherished sister, Cheryl Eldh (2018). He is survived by his beloved wife, Karen; his five children, Shannon Stiner (Joel) of Nipomo, CA; Kelly (Mosty) of Phoenix, AZ; Jamie of Montauk, NY; Megan (Scott) of Mesa, AZ; and Sean (Alex) of Chicago, IL; five grandchildren - Michaela Aikins (Nick), Ryan Stiner, Rachel Vanderschelden (Ben), Christopher McKenna (Melody), and Erin Fearon (Dwanye); and six great-grandchildren - Revel Aikins, Mette Aikins, Shepherd Vanderschelden, Cian McKenna-Maarouf, Dre Fearon, and baby boy Fearon due in 2026. Sid is also survived by his devoted stepchildren, Dave (Lisa) of Cape Coral, FL, Danny of New Port Richey, FL, and Angela (Rob) of Blythewood, SC, as well as five step-grandchildren - Mandy Nielsen (Brett), Keegan KinKaid, Christopher Hagedorn (Jessica), Scott Hagedorn, and David Hagedorn - one step-great-grandchild (Julian), and another step-great-grandchild due in 2026.

Sid was a devoted Catholic with a generous spirit; giving not only of his resources but also of his time to family, friends, and anyone in need. He will be fondly remembered for his warmth, his generous heart, his enjoyment of a fine cigar and a Manhattan cocktail, his infectious laughter, and, above all, his love of family.

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The memorial service will be held on August 14th at 11:00 a.m. at St Katharine Drexel Catholic Church (1922 S.W. 20th Ave. Cape Coral, FL 33991).

A celebration of life will follow at the Moody River clubhouse (13020 Turtle Cove Trail, North Fort Myers, FL, 33903)

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to: Avow Hospice (AvowCares.org)