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Thomas Riley McKeown died Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, at The Inn at Fairview in Hudson, New Hampshire, of Parkinson’s disease at the age of 74.
Tom was born in Montevideo, Minnesota, to James Byron and Alice Jane (Anderson) McKeown. He was baptized and confirmed into the Catholic faith. Tom graduated from Montevideo Senior High School in 1969.
After high school, he worked for the Milwaukee Railroad. He was drafted and enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving during the Vietnam War from 1971-1975. Tom married his high school sweetheart, Pamela Wallien. Tom and Pam initially lived in Norfolk, Virginia, where he attended classes at Old Dominion University while stationed on the U.S.S. Shenandoah (AD-26).
Upon discharge from the U.S. Navy, they moved to Montevideo where Tom and Pam were blessed to have two children. Andrew Paul was born in 1976 and Megan Ann in 1978. Shortly after, Tom found employment in Davenport where he completed a six-year apprenticeship program in wood pattern making. The family then moved to Apple Valley, Minnesota, where both Andy and Megan graduated from high school.
Tom and Pam eventually settled in Creston, where Tom retired as a vice president of pre-production engineering from Wellman Dynamics shortly after his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. They moved to Hudson to live closer to their daughter and family.
Tom loved the outdoors and spent lots of time with family enjoying the lakes in Minnesota and fishing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of Minnesota/Canada. He fished and hunted whenever he had the time and could find a willing accomplice. Andy used to tell of one time when he was so impressed while fishing with his dad on Lake Minnetonka. When Tom cast his fishing line into the water, his wedding ring flew off into the lake. Tom promptly removed his shoes and jumped into the water. Amazingly, he found his wedding ring.
Andy and Megan were his world, and he spent as much time as possible with them. He loved working with kids and led Andy’s church youth groups, taught Sunday School and coached Megan in her early soccer years.
Tom and Pam loved to travel. They took several Viking river cruises in Europe and traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe. They enjoyed a second home in Tucson, Arizona, during the winter months.
Tom is survived by his wife Pam of Hudson: his daughter Megan (Adam) Sears of Westford, Massachusetts; siblings: Kathy (Dirk) Anderson of Winsted, Minnesota, John and Rick of Danvers, Minnesota, Robert (Kathy Jo) of Bemidji, Minnesota, Mary (Tom) Constenius of Cokato, Minnesota, Paul (Kari) of Lenexa, Kansas, and Nancy (Chad) Heidorn of Colfax, Wisconsin, and his brother-in-law Paul (Colleen) Wallien of Aberdeen, South Dakota. He was blessed with grandchildren including: Kate McKeown (fiancé Isaac Diehl) of Monticello, Minnesota, Aidan McKeown of Sauk Centre, Minnesota, Thomas, Emily, Anya and Maeve Sears of Westford, Massachusetts; great-granddaughter Layla Grace Diehl of Monticello; his mother-in-law Mavis Punt of Hudson and father-in-law David Wallien of Aberdeen. He is also survived by several nieces, nephews and cousins, as well as many well-loved friends and former colleagues.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his son Andrew.
Tom was well-studied on the Bible. He was a Christian man of deep faith and a prayer warrior. He was happy to talk about his relationship with Jesus and had a real gift of public speaking. We are blessed beyond words to have been in each other’s lives. He was a wonderful husband and father and was deeply loved by his family. He always told his kids and whoever would listen that the two most important decisions one can make in this life are who you choose to marry and where you spend eternity. We know he is in Heaven. Blessed be his memory.
Services for Tom will be held Jan. 9, 2026, at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Avenue in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with a meeting time of 10 a.m. and funeral mass at 11 a.m. A burial is scheduled at a later date in Montevideo. Condolences may be sent to the family at 33 Cobblestone Dr., Hudson, NH 03051.