“Robert Park “”Bob”” McKeown, 89, of Hendersonville, North Carolina, died July 14, 2016 following a lengthy illness. Bob was born in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania on January 12, 1927, the son of the late Elda Park McKeown and Guy Harris McKeown. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his only sibling, James McKeown.
Bob married Dorothy Joan “”Dottie”” Shupp on September 19, 1953. She preceded him in death in 2015. Bob spent nearly his entire professional career with Union Carbide Corporation where he held several accounting and financial positions. Bob, Dottie and family lived at various times in Cleveland, Ohio; Greenville, North Carolina; Asheboro, North Carolina; St. Albans, Vermont; Rogers, Arkansas; West Milford, New Jersey; South Windsor, Connecticut, and Hendersonville, North Carolina where they retired to in 1986. Bob and Dottie were members of First United Methodist Church of Hendersonville.

Bob grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania where he graduated from high school in 1945. He also spent many summers at the Park family farm in Fannettsburg, Pennsylvania. It was there that he developed a passion for hunting and fishing, pastimes that he enjoyed throughout his life. After his retirement, Bob penned a personal memoir entitled My Life As I Remember It, much of which centered on life on a subsistence farm during the Great Depression.
He served in the U.S. Navy as a member of the VP-21 Navy Air Crew. He attended Washington and Jefferson University in Pennsylvania and graduated from Bowling Green University.

Bob was a humble, unassuming man who instilled in his children the values of hard work, self-discipline and love of family, virtues he modeled throughout his life.

Bob pursued a number of hobbies during his life. He was an accomplished gunsmith, a stamp collector and a coin collector. He also enjoyed fly fishing, deer hunting, camping, hiking, canoeing and travel to the Caribbean. Following retirement, he also caned chairs for many in western North Carolina. Bob also kept books for the Blue Ridge Radio Players and the Long John Mountain Homeowners’ Association in Hendersonville.
As his children were growing up, Bob was at various times a youth baseball coach and PTA volunteer. He was also active in various churches he attended, most often as an usher.

Bob is survived by his daughter, Pat (Kurt) Kopp of Columbia, Missouri; and three sons, Bill (Candy) McKeown of Littleton, Colorado; Richard (Tracye) McKeown of Bryant, Arkansas; and John (Linda) McKeown of Centreville, Virginia. Also surviving him are eight grandchildren, Michael Kopp; Eric Kopp; Anne Kimberling; Sarah Kopper; Kristen McCrary; Courtney Jones; Jenna McKeown, and Anna McKeown. He also leaves 10 great-grandchildren, Lucas Kopp, Tobin Kopp, Marlon Kopp, Greta Kopp, Evan McCrary, Ella McCrary, Cash McCrary, Harvey Kopper, Eileen Kopper and Edie Jones.

The family wishes to express its heartfelt gratitude to the caregivers at the Carolina Medical Center and Pardee Hospital for their kind compassion and excellent care they provided Bob in his final weeks and months. A graveside memorial service will be held at the Lower Path Valley Cemetery in Fannettsburg, Pennsylvania. Memorials may be made to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, 7168 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite 100, Columbia, MD 21046.”