Captain John Joseph Keegan, Ret.

Keegan, John Joseph (75) of Williamsburg, Virginia passed away November 2, 2019. John was born October 29, 1944 in Corona, New York. John met his wife Beryl (Phelps) Keegan of 40 years at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where they both served in the US Army.

John started his 24-year career as a helicopter mechanic, attended flight school, became qualified to be an Instructor Pilot for fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, and earned his Master Aviators Badge. While serving tours in Germany, Vietnam, Thailand and tours in Korea, John was awarded numerous medals which included the Bronze Star, the Air Medal 11-16, Army Commendation Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Korea), and the Overseas Service Ribbon. John retired as a Captain in November 1985. John received his master’s in Aeronautical Engineering from Embry-Riddle University.

Following John’s retirement, John worked for Magnavox and GE before accepting a position with Newport News Shipbuilding in June 1993. In 2007, when AMSEC LLC developed a business partnership between SAIC and Northrop Grumman subsidiary Newport News Shipbuilding John was transferred to AMSEC, where he worked as logical project manager working on numerous Navy projects before he retired in March 2018.

In his early years John was an avid bass fisherman, often leaving the house early in the morning returning late at night to fish in and conduct fishing tournaments. He was President of the American Bass Association and belonged to numerous bass fishing clubs throughout the country. In his later years, his passion for golfing took over his love for fishing, again spending most of his weekends on the golf course with his friends from the Kiskiack Golf Club. In the past few months, he was able to reunite with many of his fellow Vietnam Veterans, flight school classmates, and members of D Troup, giving him a sense of comradery and peace.

John was Past-President, served on the Board of Directors, and the golf committee for the Williamsburg Shrine Club. John split his free time to advocating for the success of the Shriner’s Hospital for Children and for the rescue and placement of stray, abandoned, relinquished or impounded purebred English Springer Spaniels (MAESSR). John was instrumental in the success of the MAESSR Annual Golf Tournament. In addition, John assisted in fostering, transport and often manned tables at rescue fairs.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Kiskiack Golf Club at a later date. John' inurnment at Arlington National Cemetery will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers the family requesting donations be made to Shriner’s Hospital for Children https://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/shc‎) or the Mid-Atlantic English Springer Spaniel Rescue (http://www.maessr.org/donations.aspx).