Lieutenant Colonel James J. McKeone

James Joseph McKeone, 59, US Airways captain and retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, died Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006, at his home in Franklin Park, PA.

Jim was born Feb. 8, 1947, in Philadelphia to the late James Joseph Sr. and Helen Cassidy McKeone.  After graduating from St. Joseph University in 1969, he began his aviation career by joining the Air Force.  In 1970 while in pilot training, Jim married Mary Sullivan.

In 1971 in Vietnam, he flew the C-7 Caribou with the 457^th TAS, Cam Ranh Bay and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.  He later flew the T-29 and T-43 at Mather AFB and the C-9 at Scott AFB.  In 1979 he joined the reserves flying the C-9 until his retirement in 1992.

At US Airways, Capt. McKeone flew many planes during his 25years of service. Most recently he was a check airman on the Boeing 757/67 in Pittsburgh and Charlotte.

His daughter, Jennifer, said, “Dad enjoyed playing the guitar and singing Irish folk songs along with Mom’s brother, Kevin, who introduced them.”

Jim is survived by his wife, Mary Sullivan McKeone; children, Jennifer (Joseph) Saunders, of Vienna, Va., Kathleen (Christopher) Cobucci, of Falls Church, Va., and Daniel McKeone, a student at Penn State University; three grandchildren, Elizabeth and Caitlin Saunders and Joseph Cobucci; and a brother, Thomas McKeone, of Michigan.

Graveside services with full Military Honors were held at Arlington National Cemetery.  Contributions may be made to Forbes Hospice, 115 S. Neville St. Pittsburgh, PA 15213.