Obituary for John J. McKeon
John Joseph McKeon, age 94, ascended into the arms of our Lord on May 2, 2023, after a fulfilling life as a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, professional civil engineer, and wonderful friend to all those who knew him.
Known as “Jack” within the extended McKeon clan, he was the last surviving child of Paul and Edith McKeon, who brought into this world five children (Charles, Eileen, Jim, Molly, and Jack) of extraordinary character. Raised on the family farm in Swartz Creek, Michigan, John was 8 years old before his family had running water and electricity. Early days on the farm found John tossing hay from the loft to the cows and horses, cleaning stalls, and feeding the chickens. John later earned a promotion to milking the cows and gained a strong work ethic through his father that would sustain him throughout his life.
John graduated from Fenton High School in 1946 and subsequently enlisted in the United States Army. He served his nation for nearly two years, deploying to South Korea for 15 months before his honorable discharge in 1948. He attended Western Michigan University for two years where he played tight-end on the football team. John then transferred to the University of Michigan and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering. He would remain a resident of Ann Arbor for the next 70 plus years.
John met his loving wife, Doris Helen Jaeger in 1953 at a nurse’s party and they were married at Saint Thomas Catholic Church on August 31, 1957. In 1961, John and Doris began raising their family that would grow to four “active” and perhaps a bit rambunctious boys: Matthew Paul (’61), Scott Joseph (’63), Patrick John (’64), and Mark Thomas (’67). John supported his growing family as a successful civil engineer where he bid on and oversaw the construction of literally hundreds of civil works projects throughout southeastern Michigan. Most of his winning bids were crafted using a simple slide rule, engineering graph paper, labor and resource tables, and his own insights. Amidst a professional career that spanned 55 years, John formed a close bond with his four children and was a faithful supporter of all their sports interests. Countless weeknights found John coaching baseball or spending long weekends driving to swim meets in Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, and parts in between. As his boys advanced through Pioneer High School, John rarely missed a swim meet or water polo game and was always there to render encouragement. John treasured the many family vacations throughout his family’s formative years with trips to the New Jersey shore, Hilton Head Island, and Gettysburg topping the list.
Later in life, he inherited a love of swimming from his children and was a daily presence in the Huron Valley Swim Club lap pool or the Ann Arbor Recreation Center pool. John accepted his life’s final calling by dedicating himself to the care of his ailing love Doris. Together they spent countless hours on the back porch watching the geese, ducks, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, and birds feast on the seeds John would put out for them. After Doris’ passing in 2019, he was a fixture at Arborcrest Memorial Park overseeing and caring for her gravesite.
To his family and friends, we remember a soft-spoken, witty, generous, and honorable man. He lived a life of quiet determination and in his final years proudly lived unassisted at his residence, displaying the remarkable resilience he learned in life.
John is survived by his sons, Matthew (Lisa) of Forest Hills, NY, Scott (Brian) of Columbus, OH, Patrick (LeeAnn) of Ann Arbor, and Mark of San Rafael, CA; grandchildren, Andrew (Hayley) of Culver City, CA, Katherine of Houston, TX, Donovan of Ann Arbor, MI, Quinn Keck of NC, and Nevaeh Samoun-McKeon of Novato, CA; great-granddaughter, Minnie McKeon of Culver City, CA; and numerous loving nieces and nephews.
The family extends our gratitude to the doctors and staff at University of Michigan Medical Hospital for their tremendous efforts.
Visitation will take place from 2:00 – 5:00 PM on Sunday, May 7, 2023 at Nie Family Funeral Home, 3767 W. Liberty Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, May 8, 2023 at St. Francis Catholic Church, 2250 E. Stadium Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in John’s honor to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church or Doctors Without Borders, Doctors Without Borders USA online at https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/ or by mail to P.O. Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030
Known as “Jack” within the extended McKeon clan, he was the last surviving child of Paul and Edith McKeon, who brought into this world five children (Charles, Eileen, Jim, Molly, and Jack) of extraordinary character. Raised on the family farm in Swartz Creek, Michigan, John was 8 years old before his family had running water and electricity. Early days on the farm found John tossing hay from the loft to the cows and horses, cleaning stalls, and feeding the chickens. John later earned a promotion to milking the cows and gained a strong work ethic through his father that would sustain him throughout his life.
John graduated from Fenton High School in 1946 and subsequently enlisted in the United States Army. He served his nation for nearly two years, deploying to South Korea for 15 months before his honorable discharge in 1948. He attended Western Michigan University for two years where he played tight-end on the football team. John then transferred to the University of Michigan and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering. He would remain a resident of Ann Arbor for the next 70 plus years.
John met his loving wife, Doris Helen Jaeger in 1953 at a nurse’s party and they were married at Saint Thomas Catholic Church on August 31, 1957. In 1961, John and Doris began raising their family that would grow to four “active” and perhaps a bit rambunctious boys: Matthew Paul (’61), Scott Joseph (’63), Patrick John (’64), and Mark Thomas (’67). John supported his growing family as a successful civil engineer where he bid on and oversaw the construction of literally hundreds of civil works projects throughout southeastern Michigan. Most of his winning bids were crafted using a simple slide rule, engineering graph paper, labor and resource tables, and his own insights. Amidst a professional career that spanned 55 years, John formed a close bond with his four children and was a faithful supporter of all their sports interests. Countless weeknights found John coaching baseball or spending long weekends driving to swim meets in Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, and parts in between. As his boys advanced through Pioneer High School, John rarely missed a swim meet or water polo game and was always there to render encouragement. John treasured the many family vacations throughout his family’s formative years with trips to the New Jersey shore, Hilton Head Island, and Gettysburg topping the list.
Later in life, he inherited a love of swimming from his children and was a daily presence in the Huron Valley Swim Club lap pool or the Ann Arbor Recreation Center pool. John accepted his life’s final calling by dedicating himself to the care of his ailing love Doris. Together they spent countless hours on the back porch watching the geese, ducks, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, and birds feast on the seeds John would put out for them. After Doris’ passing in 2019, he was a fixture at Arborcrest Memorial Park overseeing and caring for her gravesite.
To his family and friends, we remember a soft-spoken, witty, generous, and honorable man. He lived a life of quiet determination and in his final years proudly lived unassisted at his residence, displaying the remarkable resilience he learned in life.
John is survived by his sons, Matthew (Lisa) of Forest Hills, NY, Scott (Brian) of Columbus, OH, Patrick (LeeAnn) of Ann Arbor, and Mark of San Rafael, CA; grandchildren, Andrew (Hayley) of Culver City, CA, Katherine of Houston, TX, Donovan of Ann Arbor, MI, Quinn Keck of NC, and Nevaeh Samoun-McKeon of Novato, CA; great-granddaughter, Minnie McKeon of Culver City, CA; and numerous loving nieces and nephews.
The family extends our gratitude to the doctors and staff at University of Michigan Medical Hospital for their tremendous efforts.
Visitation will take place from 2:00 – 5:00 PM on Sunday, May 7, 2023 at Nie Family Funeral Home, 3767 W. Liberty Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, May 8, 2023 at St. Francis Catholic Church, 2250 E. Stadium Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in John’s honor to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church or Doctors Without Borders, Doctors Without Borders USA online at https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/ or by mail to P.O. Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030