James "Jim" McKean, a veteran who gave nearly 25 years of missionary service to HCJB Global after retiring from the military, died suddenly of a heart attack in Colorado Springs, Colo., the morning of Monday, Nov. 12. He was 69.
Jim was born in Cuba, Kan., on March 31, 1938, and later lived in Phoenix, Ariz., where he graduated from Sunnyside High School. He then studied at the University of Kansas for two years before joining the U.S. Air Force (USAF) in Phoenix in 1958. He served as a trombonist in the USAF Band the first four years of his military career.
Through the Airman Education program, he completed his bachelor's degree in business administration from Arizona State University in 1964. Jim then became an internal auditor and an accounting and finance officer with the USAF in Arizona. He retired in 1979 with the rank of captain after 21 years of military service. He later studied at Denver Seminary and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
On May 31, 1959 Jim married Mary Avison. The McKeans joined HCJB Global in 1983, studying Spanish at Rio Grande Bible Institute in Edinburg, Texas, before arriving in Quito, Ecuador, later that same year.
Jim served as an internal auditor and directed the Quito Business Office. He was also active in the mission's choir and orchestra and helped at English Fellowship Church as Sunday school superintendent. In addition, he was a song leader for an organization called Military Christians of Ecuador that ministers among the country's military.
In 1989 the McKeans transferred to the U.S. to serve in accounting at the mission's international headquarters, first in Miami, Fla., and then in Colorado Springs when the office was relocated in 1992. Jim and Mary enjoyed sponsoring cadets from the USAF Academy in Colorado Springs throughout the years-sometimes three or four at a time.
Jim's final assignment at HCJB Global was serving on the Personnel Care Team, recording detailed information and tracking missionaries on home ministry assignment in North America. He and Mary also provided hospitality to many candidates and missionaries visiting in Colorado Springs.
In an interview several years ago, Jim said he first considered full-time missionary service while serving with the USAF. "Because of our interest in cross-cultural experiences and growing awareness of needed skills that could be used in full-time service, we moved toward missions after military retirement," he explained. "After investigating many missions, we felt that our talents could best be used with HCJB Global."
He added that "being of useful service to others" was the most satisfying aspect of being a missionary. "I especially enjoyed being an encouragement to the Christians in the Ecuadorian military who were organizing their own ministry."
In addition to his wife of 48 years, Jim is survived by six children, Martha, Deanna, Erin, Pamela, Thomas and Philip as well as 14 grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21, in the "stone chapel" of his church, Woodmen Valley Chapel, in Colorado Springs. Information on the designation of memorial gifts is pending.
Colorado Springs, CO 80949-9800
800.873.4859