Mr. James A. Keeley

Cullum: 18219

Class: '51

Cadet Company: H1

Date of Birth: May 13, 1928

Date of Death: May 24, 2009 - View or Post a Eulogy

It would have been a simple matter to gamer a congressional appointment to Annapolis. In fact, I was offered the principal appointment to USNA in 1946 and
again in 1947, but: Navy? No thanks! My father was a West Pointer (Class of '24) and: I was determined to be one also. At the time I tackled the Territory of Hawaii's delegate to congress for his appointment, I was working for the morning Honolulu newspaper and was publisher of the afternoon newspaper. At the Interview, he asked me why in the world should he offer an appointment to someone who was competing against him. My answer was that he should welcome the opportunity to ship one of the enemy camp out of town. Apparently, he agreed with the logic.

My academic career was neither stellar nor abysmal. Subjects involving words were easy, but those that dealt witih numbers were very difficult for me. When the final pluses and minues were plopped on the scale, they balanced to near mid-point -- a ranking which allowed me to select artillery as my branch of choice.

After jump school, I enjoyed three airborne artillery assignments in a row. Was forwarded observer in the Korean war and commanded an Honest John battery in Europe before earning a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering. My utilization tour was at DSCLOG in the pentagon.

I left the Army as a Major in 1964 to take up a new career in the mechanical side of the newspaper business. Initially, I worked for the Miami Herald and later for its parent corporation, Knight-Ridder. In 1982, The Dallas Morning News offered me the position of VP/Operations, which I accepted. My final career task was to build and equip a state-of-the-art production facility for that newspaper. Mission accomplished -- under budget and ahead of schedule.

My first wife and I had two children, Kay Lorraine (deceased 1997) and James Mc Gregor. They have produced three lovely granddaughters. Canada's best-ever export is my wife Angie, who works for Lennox International (the "Atta boy, Dave" air conditioning and heating firm), while I bask idly to the sunshine of retirement. Having crafted two novels of suspensse genre, I sow consider myself to be a writer. The publishing community, however, has yet to bestow that title. Maybe someday.

 

Obituary:

HE GREW UP IN HAWAII AND WAS A RESIDENT THERE WHEN PEARL HARBOR WAS ATTACKED. JIM WAS APPOINTED TO THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY AND GRADUATED FROM THERE IN 1951 AS A SECOND LIEUTENANT. MOST OF HIS ASSIGNMENTS WERE IN THE AIRBORNE ARTILLERY, WHERE HE ACHIEVED A SENIOR PARACHUTIST RATING. DURING HIS MILITARY CAREER, HE OBTAINED A MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA. AFTER SERVING 13 YEARS IN THE ARMY, INCLUDING COMBAT IN THE KOREAN WAR, JIM LEFT THE SERVICE AS A MAJOR AND BEGAN A CAREER IN THE NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY, BEGINNING WITH THE MIAMI HERALD AND CULMINATING AS VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS FOR THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS, WHERE HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPPAGE OF THE PRODUCTION PLANT IN PLANO, TEXAS. HE LEFT THE MORNING NEWS IN 1989 AND WORKED AS ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT OF TOKYO KIKAI SEISAKUSHO, A MANUFACTURER OF NEWSPAPER PRESSES, IN THEIR RICHARDSON, TEXAS OFFICE UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT.

JAMES KEELEY IS THE SON OF MARGARET BOREN KEELEY AND HAROLD JAMES KEELEY OF HONOLULU, HAWAII. HE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS PARENTS AND BY HIS DAUGHTER, KAY KEELEY HALLEY OF GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS.

HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS BELOVED WIFE ANGIE OF 23 YEARS. HE IS ALSO SURVIVED BY HIS SON, JAMES M. KEELEY (WIFE: PAMELA JEAN) AND HIS GRANDDAUGHTER KAITLIN; HIS SISTER, PATRICIA SALSBURY (HUSBAND: BILL, DECEASED); HIS SON-IN-LAW PAUL HALLEY (WIFE: ZAIDA) AND HIS GRANDDAUGHTERS STEPHANIE AND MELANIE AND GRANDSON PABLO; HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW, MICHEL DEL BUONO AND HIS FAMILY; HIS SISTER-IN-LAW JOSEE CIVITELLA (HUSBAND: VINCE) AND DEAR NIECES CYNTHIA AND SHERYL AND THEIR SPOUSES. HE IS ALSO SURVIVED BY HIS GODCHILDREN , ROZMARY AND JOZIE CONTE, AS WELL AS NUMEROUS COUSINS AND CLOSE FRIENDS.

JIM WAS DEARLY LOVED BY ALL WHO EVER MET HIM FOR HIS GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR AND HIS WONDERFUL STORIES. HE GAVE A NEW MEANING TO THE WORD "LOVE". HIS GOODNESS, INTEGRITY AND HUMILITY SHINED THROUGH EVERYTHING HE SAID AND DID. HE ALWAYS PUT OTHERS FIRST. HIS READY SMILE WAS MOST INFECTIOUS. HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED BY EVERYONE.

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