[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16719]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               COMMEMORATING THE LIFE OF MR. JOHN McKEOWN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HENRY CUELLAR

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 8, 2016

  Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the life of one of 
Laredo's most caring and dedicated citizens, Mr. John McKeown.
  Mr. McKeown was born on February 4th, 1929, in Tulsa, Oklahoma to 
John Mayo McKeown and Mary Grace McVey McKeown. He attended Cascia Hall 
Preparatory School in Tulsa and eventually went to the U.S. Naval 
Academy where he graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering. At 
the age of 24, Mr. McKeown entered the Korean War where he served on a 
transport ship and a destroyer. For his service he received the 
National Defense Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service 
Medal, and the China Service Medal. After the war, he moved to Texas to 
work for a maquiladora that manufactured electronics. It was during 
this time that he met his beloved wife Jeanette. They soon got married 
and eventually had two children. Mr. McKeown also went on to start a 
successful business called McKeown Customs Brokers Inc. which saw over 
forty years of success.
  Mr. McKeown was very involved in his local community. He not only 
helped start one of Laredo's first youth soccer teams but helped 
referee Saturdays and Sundays. He was also an active member of the 
Laredo Licensed U.S. Customs Brokers Association, Laredo Noon Rotary 
Club, St. Patrick Men's Club, and was past president of the Laredo 
Animal Protective Society. Mr. McKeown, however, was most noted for his 
work with helping local veterans. As an active member of the Laredo 
Korean War Veterans Association and chaplain of the Laredo 1959 
chapter, Mr. McKeown was considered one of the first people veterans 
could turn to in their time of need. He was also involved with helping 
to designate segments of state highways 359, 16, and 285 as the 
Veterans of the Korean War Memorial Highway. He even went so far as to 
use his own money to help pay for the highway signs.
  Mr. McKeown is survived by his wife, Jeanette Moser McKeown; 
daughter, Carolyn J. McKeown; grandchildren, Carolyn Lauren Hinojosa 
Walker, Ann Michelle Hinojosa (Ari) Hoffman, and Eduardo Javier 
Hinojosa Jr.; great-grandchildren, William Christopher Walker, Rheya 
Ashley Walker; siblings, Patricia (Herbert) Stanley, and Thomas (Ruth) 
McKeown.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to remember the 
legacy of Mr. John McKeown.

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