September 30, 1925-October 21, 2025
John A. Keyes, a pioneer in the development of communication satellites, died in his home on October 21, three weeks after celebrating his 100th birthday.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1925, John and his four siblings grew up during the depression, always grateful for strong and nurturing parents. He proudly attended Brooklyn Technical high school and, upon graduation in 1943, enlisted in the US Navy. There he qualified for an officer training program which permitted him to complete his college education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. While at R.P.I. he was selected for membership in the Honorary Society of Sigma Xi, received a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree, and met Mary Connell, his future wife.
After an honorable discharge from active duty as an Ensign in the Navy and at the end of WWII, he joined General Electric and was selected for their competitive Creative Engineering Program. This program had a profound impact on his future and the success of his technical and business career.
In 1961 John joined Philco Ford in Philadelphia and soon after transferred to the Western Development Laboratories in Palo Alto CA. His work contributed directly to the eventual funding of what became Ford Aerospace, and later Space Systems/Loral. He traveled around the globe throughout his career, and told endless stories about his experiences, one favorite included a flight on the Concord/ SST.
In 1973, his career brought him to Washington DC as Director of Commercial Development at Comsat Labs in Maryland. Here he was instrumental in the continued growth of communication by satellite. He took much pride in his part and responsibility to install a satellite antenna on the Queen Elizabeth II, enabling the first ever maritime satellite to and from ship communications for passengers. He was most fortunate to receive the first telephone call via satellite from this ship, at sea, through the domestic telephone network.
John was recognized and instrumental in sending, through satellite transmission, a way to print in distant locations, making the distribution of newspapers across the country quicker and more efficient. He received the first printed page of the Wall Street Journal via satellite, the page, framed and displayed, was one of John’s most prized possessions.
John had a passion for aviation of all kinds; his favorite hobby was flying as a private pilot. He loved to ski for decades, taking his last downhill run at the age of 87, and playing golf into his late 80s.
John was predeceased, by his loving and cherished wife of 69 years, Mary Connell Keyes, (2017), and by his son, Lt Col. John W. Keyes USAF, lost in service to his country, (1996), as well as all four of his siblings, and numerous nieces and nephews
He is survived by his daughter, Barbara (Barry Thompson), and son William (Natalie). In addition to four grandsons; Kyle and Lucas Thompson, Nicholas and Jonathan Keyes. He will be greatly missed by many friends and nieces and nephews, together with his caregiver of 11 years, Fabiola.
A mass of Christian burial will be held on Friday November 7 at 10.30am. St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Los Altos, CA
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