"People loved to come in and talk with him," said his sister, Nancy Bell of Amelia. "He lived life the way he wanted - he did it his way."

Mr. McClanahan died in his sleep from a heart attack Friday at his home. He was 63.

He graduated from Anderson High School in 1958 and immediately began his own landscaping business.

"He loved nature and the outdoors," said Bell. "When we were kids, he'd bring home animals, such as a skunk, a squirrel and hawks. After they healed, he turned them back into the wild."

Mr. McClanahan later bought a 150-acre farm in Clermont County.

"It was his escape from business - the restaurant. He could go out there and plow and disc and bush hog all day," said Bell. "He was fortunate to be able to have a beautiful farm like that, where he spent every single Sunday and where we had family Thanksgivings."

After about 10 years in the landscaping business, McClanahan joined his brother, Daniel, to open their first El Coyote Restaurant in Netcong, N.J. It was so successful, they decided to return to Cincinnati and open another restaurant. They bought and renovated the old Crestview Gardens building in Anderson Township and opened El Coyote in 1981.

In 1995, Mr. McClanahan and his wife, Sara LeRoy-McClanahan, opened a second El Coyote in Edgewood, Ky.

Although El Coyote is a "Tex-Mex" restaurant, it is known for its mashed potatoes, large pork chops, steaks and Mexican macaroni.

Mrs. McClanahan said he also loved horse racing and traveling, especially to Texas and the South, and was active with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Other survivors include a brother, Mike of Hyde Park; and a sister, Karen Adkins of Denver.

Visitation will be 5-9 p.m. today at the Witt, Good and Kelsch Funeral Home, 7312 Beechmont Ave., Anderson Township. Additional parking and shuttle service for visitation will be provided at El Coyote, 7404 State Road.

The funeral service will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at Mount Moriah United Methodist Church, 681 Mount Moriah Drive, Withamsville.Memorials: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 2011 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45208.

E-mail kandrew@enquirer.com