08/17/2026
Remembering “The Mayor of Durham Fitness” — Tim McKenna
I am not one to normally make personal posts like this, but last week the Durham Fitness family, and indeed the entire Durham community, lost a very kind and very special man, Tim McKenna.
I have been asked by many members if I could post a tribute to Tim from the gym’s perspective. I spent a lot of time thinking about what I could possibly say about someone who meant so much to so many people—not just within these walls, but throughout the entire community.
Many knew him as “Big Tim.”
Others knew him as “The Mayor of Durham Fitness.”
To me, he was simply Tim.
Tim was one of the very first members of Durham Fitness, having joined almost 20 years ago.
I knew of Mr. McKenna long before he ever walked through the doors of Durham Fitness. Growing up in this community, you just knew “the good guys.” I had seen Tim around town at different events and knew his children and extended family. Whenever I saw him, even if it was just in passing, I would always get a friendly “Hi.”
Years later, Tim retired and was working out in his basement. One day, his daughter Tara heard him on the phone, panting and out of breath.
She sternly told him, “That’s not safe. There is a new gym that just opened in town, and you need to work out there.”
The year was 2007, and Durham Fitness had opened just months before that phone call.
I will forever be thankful that Tara did that.
When Tim first joined, I called him Mr. McKenna.
He quickly made it very clear that was not going to happen any longer.
There was no arguing with Tim. He put his arms around my shoulders and said, “It’s okay to call me Tim.”
And from that day forward, he was Tim.
What started as a gym membership became a community and an extended family for him.
Tim made friends everywhere he went. He worked out with other members, helped new trainers and instructors get started with classes, and made lifelong friendships with so many people inside these four walls.
And Tim was committed to his workouts.
Nothing was going to keep him from coming to the gym.
That included a time immediately after Tim had major shoulder surgery.
Most people probably would have stayed home and rested.
Not Tim.
He showed up at the gym.
The surgery forced him to wear a sling, and we actually joked about the fact that he needed help getting it on because Lynne was still working and there was nobody home to help him.
So he came to his extended family.
Tim wasn’t going to miss his workout. Even if he couldn’t lift with the injured arm, he was going to find something he could do with the other.
That was Tim.
We laughed about that story for years afterward. Whenever someone else came into the gym after having surgery, Tim would tell them the story.
He was proud of it.
And it was one of the most “Tim” things he could have done.
When Tim first started coming to the gym, he worked out every day—sometimes twice a day while Lynne was still working. As time went on, his social calendar at the gym grew, and Tim somehow managed to make sure he got into the gym four times a day!
Eventually, his name seemed to change.
Some called him “Big Tim.”
Others called him “The Mayor.”
And others still referred to him as “Teddy Bear Tim.”
Whatever they called him, they all knew him.
Tim became part of the daily rhythm of Durham Fitness.
He always made sure to tell me or someone else if he was going to be away or had an appointment.
It didn’t matter what time of day it was. If someone didn’t see Tim, someone would ask:
“Where’s Tim?”
If Tim was missing from his normal routine, people noticed.
Most of the time, I could tell them Tim was fine—he was on vacation, had an appointment or was just busy.
That’s how much he had become part of everyone’s everyday life.
And that is why this isn’t just a tribute from me.
It is for all the members of Durham Fitness, past and present, who had the privilege of knowing Tim.
Whether you knew him for almost 20 years, 10 years, a few months, or simply crossed paths with him at the gym, you became part of the same community that Tim loved so much.
I never thought that July 23rd would be the last time we would all see Tim working out.
That morning, Tim left the gym and later came back because he had forgotten something.
He walked back in and said, “Yup, I forgot my drink.”
He put his arms around my shoulders and said, “Have a great weekend. See you Monday.”
Just like he always did when he left, no matter what time of day it was.
Those words are something I will never forget.
Tim was always opening the door for whoever was coming in or leaving. He greeted everyone with that huge smile and somehow always knew how to put a smile on the face of everyone he greeted.
And if anyone was uncertain what day of the week it was, Tim would remind them based on what part of the body he was working on.
One of the favorites was “Tricep Tuesday,” which also meant Tim needed a spotter for his favorite tricep skull crushers.
Tim loved to lift heavy.
And he could.
You would also hear the loud crashing noise of weights being dropped throughout the gym. After everyone jumped, someone would inevitably say:
“Tim is here.”
He was known for those one- or two-rep heavy lifts, usually with the entire stack.
That was Tim.
Tim was so much more than a member.
He was everyone’s friend.
He loved listening to people. He loved telling stories about his trips, his adventures and whatever was going on in his life.
When Tim was around, people felt like family.
He loved his music and his podcasts. You could hear him singing around the gym, and if he forgot his headphones—or they weren’t charged—well, everyone was listening to Tim’s music or podcast!
And then there were the electronics.
There were so many times Tim would get a new piece of technology that would drive him absolutely crazy.
If the grandkids weren’t around, he would come to me and say, “You gotta help me with this crazy device right now!”
Half the time I would tell him, “I’ll try,” and then I would end up Googling how the device worked.
But Tim always believed I could figure it out—even when I was completely lost.
“I can count on you.”
And when the electronics in his car became too complicated, he would say, “Help me figure out the car. There are too many buttons!”
Those are the little things you don’t realize you’re going to miss until they’re gone.
And Tim loved his clothes!
The sneakers always had to match the outfit—which is something Tim and I had in common.
Many mornings he would see me and ask, “How many pairs of sneakers are you up to in your closet?”
He coordinated his outfits for sports playoffs, holidays and just about anything else you could think of.
And then there was the door mat.
Most people at Durham Fitness knew Tim had a little OCD about that mat.
He could not stand it when it was crooked.
So now, nobody really wants to touch it.
Because that is Tim’s mat.
Those little things are what make someone unforgettable.
If Tim knew it was your birthday, anniversary or another special occasion, he made sure you felt special.
He had a way of making people feel loved and appreciated.
He genuinely cared about people.
He always knew everyone’s name and never forgot it. If there was someone new he hadn’t met, he made a point of asking their name so the next time he saw them, he could greet them by name—not just with a simple “hello.”
He was everyone’s big teddy bear.
And Tim and Lynne were always there for the community.
Whether it was a community event, a fundraiser or simply showing up to support someone, they were there.
They never missed a Durham Fitness softball game.
They didn’t just support the community.
They were part of it.
When I think about Tim, I don’t think about him as a customer or even just as a member of Durham Fitness.
I think about the hugs he gave to everyone.
The huge smiles he put on so many faces.
The memories and stories he shared.
The laughter.
The door being held open.
The perfectly matched sneakers.
The crooked mat.
“Tricep Tuesday.”
The heavy stack crashing down.
“Where’s Tim?”
And most of all, I think about how Tim had a way of making everyone feel like they belonged.
Tim treated everyone like family—and he made you feel like family.
Tim.
Big Tim.
The Mayor.
Teddy Bear Tim.
You will be missed by more people than you probably ever realized.
Thank you for almost 20 years of friendship, support, laughter and love—not just to me, but to so many people at Durham Fitness and throughout our community.
Thank you for showing up.
Thank you for caring.
Thank you for being Tim.
Rest in peace, my friend.❤️
You will forever be a part of the Durham Fitness family.
