South Portland – Robert Joseph McKenney Jr. passed away on April 24, 2018 at the Gosnell House in Scarborough, ME. He was born on December 3, 1927 in Milford, ME the son of Robert J. and Beryl (Given) McKenney. He attended local schools and graduated from Bangor High School.
Robert was a veteran of the U.S. Navy serving for 25 years as an Aviation Structural Mechanic, First Class. While serving in Japan he met the love of his life Taeko and after 3 years of courtship they were married in her home land of Yokohama, Japan in December of 1964. After retiring from the Navy in 1966, Robert and Taeko moved to Connecticut where they lived for the next 52 years. Robert worked for Pratt and Whitney for a few years before transitioning into the United States Postal Service.
Robert loved to travel, taking trips all around the world; but his favorite place to travel to was Maine. He loved spending time on the backroads and visiting different restaurants. While he was traveling, he always had a camera with him so he could document the sights. Fenway Park was a popular place for him to spend time as he was a lifelong Red Sox fan rooting them on through the good and bad. Watching golf was another very popular past time for him always pulling for “Lefty” Phil Mickelson to win the tournament.
Anyone that knew Robert would tell you that he was a kind-hearted loving man. Robert was very proud of his home, always taking excellent care of it and growing his vegetable garden every year. On his wife’s first birthday after moving to Glastonbury Robert purchased her a very special gift, a Weeping Japanese Cherry Tree, which they planted in their front yard. The tree remains there to this day and is said to be a prize winning tree that has grown like their love year after year. The tree today is over 25 feet in diameter.
Robert leaves behind his wife of 54 years Taeko, a sister Geraldine M Barry, and numerous nieces and nephews from the McKenney family. He was predeceased by a brother Arthur, 3 sisters Madeline Carlson, Pauline Cates, and Virginia Lake. He was also predeceased by 4 brother-in-laws in Japan, Tsuneo, Seinosuke, Momoya, Yoshio and one sister-in-law Kinue. He is survived by several nieces and nephews in Japan. Robert would tell you to this day that his greatest accomplishment in life was his relationship that he and Taeko formed and grew daily.
The family would like to invite you to attend a Celebration of Life Gathering on May 6 at 11:00am at Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St. Portland ME 04103 207-775-3763.
You may offer your condolences to Robert’s family at www.jonesrichandbarnes.com
