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BORN
1959
DIED
2020
Kevin McCarron Obituary
Kevin was a proud graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and served an additional 12 years achieving the rank of Lieutenant. He served on cutters, ice-breakers and buoy tenders and delighted in pointing out the inaccuracies in the TV show 'Coast Guard Alaska' (the last ship he ever served on) to anyone willing to listen. He knew every lighthouse on the eastern seaboard, having been assigned to maintaining and scheduling repairs for them.
Upon leaving the Coast Guard, Kevin earned his Masters Degree in Education from Harvard University and began working at Oak Park and River Forest High School in 1995. Kevin was a passionate and dedicated educator who gleefully tormented his students with bad puns, lame jokes and innumerable "opportunities to excel".
Later in his career, Kevin stumbled through the doors of Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, WI and somehow convinced the director to give him the keys. Thus began an odyssey which included bucket-list life experiences such as stalking Nobel Prize winning Astronomers, overnight observing on world class telescopes with countless friends and students, providing tours to anyone he could drag in off the street, and wooing and eventually marrying his future bride on the observatory steps.
On the day before his passing, an asteroid was named in Kevin's honor: kevinmccarron239282. May we take solace knowing that Kevin has hitched a ride on his asteroid and smile knowing that it may one day destroy the earth with him riding merrily along shotgun.
A celebration of life will happen this summer in Williams Bay, WI. Beloved family, friends and former students will be contacted through various networks of the date and time. Donations in Kevin's honor may be made to the former Yerkes Educational Outreach now called GLAS (Geneva Lake Astrophysics and STEAM) www.glaseducation.org
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Kevin McCarron
5 Entries
Kevin and his brothers
Alan Rothenbush
March 28, 2020
Meghan joost
March 6, 2020
May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.
Ready to take off for the stratosphere? Go!
Dan Burns
March 4, 2020
I was deeply saddened to hear about Kevin's passing. I had the great pleasure of sharing my NASA SOFIA 747 flight experience with Kevin. As the week progressed and I heard Kevin tell stories from his classroom, I realized he was my physics teaching doppelganger in many ways. He believed that if you weren't having fun teaching physics, you were doing it wrong. He was an ideal person with which to spend time in the stratosphere. My sympathies to his family and the thousands of students who undoubtedly benefited from his exceptional skill at teaching and his ability to quickly connect with people.
Laura Hernandez
March 3, 2020
I was saddened to hear of Kevin's passing. I can truly say what an honor it was to meet both of you. I still have the lovely thank you note you sent to me on my desk as a constant reminder of how thoughtful you are.
I hope you find peace and comfort, sending thoughts and prayers.
Laura Hernandez WOCN from RUMC.
March 2, 2020
My condolences to the family . May you find comfort in your treasured memories and Gods promise to return our loved ones . 1st Thessalonians 4 : 13 & 14 .
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