Patrick George McKeown

Dr. Patrick George (Pat) McKeown, Professor Emeritus, Terry College of Business of the University of Georgia, passed away suddenly in his sleep on December 5, 2024 at his second home in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. He was born April 30, 1943 in a military hospital in Birmingham, AL while his father was serving in the US Navy. 

Pat grew up in Ocala, Florida, attended Marion County Schools, and graduated from Forest High School in 1961where he was a lettered swimmer and received academic honors. From there he attended Georgia Tech where he was also a lettered swimmer and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1965. During this time, he was inducted into the honorary engineering societies, Sigma Gamma Tau and Tau Beta Pi. He was also a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He continued at Georgia Tech to complete a Master’s degree in Industrial Management in 1967. 

While working in the aerospace industry for Lockheed Georgia, he decided he wanted to teach at the college level. In 1973, he completed a PhD in Operations Research at the University of North Carolina and began his teaching career at the State University of New York in Albany, NY. In 1976, he accepted a position at the University of Georgia in the newly minted Management Science department so the family quickly sold their sleds and snow shovels and moved south to Athens. 

While completing his master’s degree at Georgia Tech, he met and married the love of his life, the former Carolyn Myers of Franklin, NC, who was finishing a nursing degree. After meeting quite by accident, they were married on August 6, 1967, six months to the day of their meeting, and enjoyed 57 wonderful years together. This marriage was joyfully filled with raising their two children, Ashley Hyatt and Christopher Patrick, in addition to traveling internationally for both teaching and pleasure. They were also deeply involved in the community by volunteering as coaches for little league football, baseball, and basketball and attending Bulldog football games as a family. Pat also had a prior life in coaching swimming, both at the age group and college levels, at the University of North Carolina and the University of Georgia. Many of his swimmers are now thriving professionals in their communities today. 

Pat taught in many international locations including France, Finland, Portugal, South Africa, Germany, Latvia and New Zealand in addition to writing over 30 textbooks in the field of computer literacy and electronic commerce. He co-authored one of the first books on the World Wide Web that was translated into multiple languages. Pat also published over 40 articles in the areas of math programming and modeling applications. He received the Terry College Distinguished Service Award in 1997 and was awarded a Fulbright Scholar appointment to Portugal in 1998. 

In 1999, Pat became the founding department head of the new Management Information Systems department of the Terry College of Business. There he developed relationships with faculty members and pushed the department forward on its way to becoming nationally recognized with a number of chaired faculty and high level research. During these years, he was also active in several professional organizations and was inducted into the Georgia Teaching Academy as a Lily Fellow. In 2003 he was inducted into the Council of Fellows of the Text and Academic Authors Association. 

He and Carolyn both retired in 2003, within five days of each other, and immediately journeyed to Auckland, NZ where he was an Invited Fellow for the fall semester. Upon returning to the US, they took up residency for most of the year at their home in Fort Myers Beach where Pat had spent much of his boyhood. There they enjoyed biking, fishing and Gulf-side living for the past 21 years. 

Pat was preceded in death by his parents, Maxwell Bertelle and Jane Harris McKeown. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Myers McKeown; his daughter, Dr. Ashley McKeown and husband, Dr. Todd Ahlman and grandchildren Keegan Patrick Ahlman and Kathryn Jane Ahlman of New Braunfels, TX; a son, Christopher Patrick McKeown of Athens; and a sister, Beth Elsey of Waynesville, NC. 

The family will receive friends at Lord and Stephens Funeral Home West, Thursday evening, December 19 from 4-7 pm, 1211 Jimmie Daniel Road, Watkinsville, GA. A Memorial Service will be held Friday, December 20 at 1 pm, at Athens First United Methodist Church, 327 N. Lumpkin Street, Athens, GA with the Rev. Dr. Nancy Johnson officiating. Interment will follow with a graveside service at Evergreen Memorial Park, 3655 Atlanta Highway, Athens. 

In lieu of flowers, a donation in his name may be made to the Friends of the Mound House, PO Box 2814, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931, where Pat was a docent for several years and for which he wrote and donated the historical account of the Mound from Ancient Settlers to the present entitled The Mound House: Crown Jewel of Fort Myers Beach. 

Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, WEST, is in charge of arrangements. www.lordandstephens.com