Fr. Mckeon

McKEON, Father Robert - age 89, died on Monday, November 24, 2014 at his home in Byron. He was a Roman Catholic Priest in the Lansing, Michigan, Diocese. He was born September 18, 1925 in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, the third son of Mark Gregory McKeon and Mary Ellen Hogan McKeon. He attended grade school in Waukesha, Wisconsin and Linden, Michigan. He graduated from the Ladysmith Wisconsin High School in June 1944, and entered the United States Navy the same month. He served as a signalman aboard an LST ship in the Western Pacific until the end of World War II, and was discharged in June 1946. He attended college at the University of Wisconsin in Ladysmith, Wisconsin and the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He began studies for the priesthood in 1949 and attended seminaries in Grand Rapids and Detroit, Michigan and in Cincinnati, Ohio. Father Bob was ordained at the Lansing Cathedral on June 6, 1959 and celebrated his first mass at St. John's Parish, Fenton, in the fieldstone church that his grandfather, Frank McKeon, helped build. He served as an assistant pastor at parishes in Jackson, Flint, Lansing and Fenton. He became a pastor at St. Isadore Parish in Laingsburg. He served as pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Flint, at St. Pius Parish in Flint, and at St. Mary's Parish in Mount Morris. He retired in 1997 and moved to his home in Byron. After retiring, he served as sacramental celebrant in St. Joseph's Parish in Gaines until November 2014. In addition to his parish service, Father Bob was Chaplain for the Daughters of Isabella and for the Divorced and Separated Catholics of Flint and in the Michigan Prison system. Father Bob was preceded in death by his parents and his two brothers, Leo Gregory and Reverend William James, and by his cousin William Donovan Mandeville who was raised in Father Bob's household and with whom Father Bob was as close as a brother. Father Bob is survived by three nephews, seven grand-nieces and nephews, and many cousins. Father Bob traveled much of the world from the Western Pacific to Ireland and Italy. He crisscrossed North America by car. He felt at home anywhere in Wisconsin or Michigan, but his family's farm on the Shiawassee River west of Linden was the place on earth dearest to him. Father Bob loved God. He loved God's Church, despite its flaws. He loved his family and multitude of relatives despite our flaws. He loved his parishioners. And he loved his dogs, all of them, one after another, over 89 years, and regarded them as flawless. Those desiring may make contribution to Children's Tumor Foundation, St. Luke N.E.W. Life Center, North End Soup Kitchen or The Seeing Eye dogs. Father Bob's funeral mass will be celebrated at 1:30 PM on Saturday, November 29, 2014 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 600 N. Adelaide St., Fenton and he will be buried in the St. John Cemetery with his family. Bishop Earl Boyea celebrant and other priests of the diocese con-celebrating. A wake will be held 2-4 and 6-9 PM Friday with a 7:00 PM Vigil service being followed by a Knights of Columbus memorial Service at the church. Online tributes may be shared on the obituaries page of www.sharpfuneralhomes.com

Visitation

Friday, November 28, 2014 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church
404 N. Dayton St. Davison. 48423, United States