John Kevin Kilroy

1937 - 2006

John Kevin Kilroy passed away Jan. 23, 2006, at St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital after a long illness.

John was born in New York City on Oct. 3, 1937, to Alice and James Kilroy. He was raised in the Innwood section of Manhattan. John attended Good Shepherd Elementary School, Manhattan Prep and graduated from Manhattan College in June 1959 with a Bachelor of Science degree in physics. John received many academic awards during his school years.

He began his career with Sperry Gyroscope, where he worked for several years before leaving in 1965. John then went to work for the federal government in the Department of Defense as a civilian employed by the U.S. Navy.

John moved to San Francisco and then to Oxnard for the Navy. In Oxnard, while working in Port Hueneme, he met Jeanie Culbert. John and Jean were married and spent 25 years in Virginia, while John worked for the Navy Department in Washington, D.C.

In November 1979, John received the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award in recognition of his significant contribution to important Navy programs. In May 1981, he received a letter of commendation on his nomination for the Naval Sea Systems Command Engineer of the Year award.

John truly valued his work for the Navy and was highly esteemed by all his colleagues.

John was considered one of the Navy's foremost civilian experts in the development and management of modern naval gun weapons system technology.

John was an avid history buff, and he and Jean spent as much spare time as they could visiting the numerous Civil war battlefields in the Washington area. They also enjoyed spending time in the Smithsonian and other museums, especially the military ones in the nearby states.

He loved to travel with his wife, especially the trips to the mountains of the East Coast and to the shores of Hawaii.

In the summer of 1990, John and his wife, Jeanie Culbert Kilroy, relocated to Somis, to Jean's family home.

John was a life member of the National Rifle Association and was a member of the California Rifle and Pistol Association. He and Jean are members of the Pleasant Valley Historical Society and supporters of SOAR. He also enjoyed gardening and growing vegetables and watching the different birds that pass through Somis during the different seasons of the year.

John is survived by his wife of 38 years, Jeanie; sisters, Marion Flaherty and Kathleen Taylor; brother, James; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

He will be missed.

A graveside service for John will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at Conejo Mountain Memorial Park and Funeral Home, Camarillo.

Assisting the family with arrangements is Conejo Mountain Memorial Park and Funeral Home, 2052 Howard Road, Camarillo, CA 93012; phone 1-805-482-1959.