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Excerpts from Keith's obituary in the RMC Class of 57 Web site Keith McKinnon, better known as Mac, entered the CMR 1952 founding class from Manitoba. He continued through RMC and the University of Manitoba, where he gained a BSc in Civil Engineering. While at CMR Keith met Monique Mongeau, sister of fellow cadet, Don Mongeau. They married shortly after Keith graduated from RMC, and raised a family of two daughters and a son. The McKinnons were, and are, a close and highly successful family, with links to Keith’s elder brother, Don McKinnon, PhD, a retired defence scientist, RMC Class of 1952. Keith started his summer training as a pilot. He was a natural, except for persistent air sickness. This was good preparation, however, for becoming an air force construction engineer responsible for all the ground facilities at Canada’s premier NATO fighter base, Baden Soellingen, Germany. He also served at Esquimalt, where he met the needs of the Navy - at Shilo, Manitoba which was entirely Army - and with the US Air Force, attached to the office of the inspector general. His ultimate challenge was as Project Manager for Facilities Development at NDHQ, where he was responsible for closing redundant offices all over Ottawa, and consolidating them into the relatively few buildings which exist today. Keith was a sportsman and athlete. At the military colleges he played all sports well. Raised on the prairies, he learned to play baseball. In his first year on summer training, “Flight Cadet McKinnon” was the star of the Penhold base team. In later years he curled and golfed, always adding an element of popular leadership. In August, 1999, he lead a team in the Ottawa RMC Club annual golf tournament, overcoming severe pain in his legs. The pains in his legs in August were caused by cancer which developed quickly. After a valiant struggle, he died peacefully at home on 7 December, 1999, cared for by Monique and surrounded by his family. Keith McKinnon lived a full, solid, balanced life - an example to us all. 3853 Neil Russell, 3798 Bill Lynn |