Keith E. McBurney, age 90, of Western Springs; beloved husband of Susan (nee Swanson) McBurney; loving father of Steven and Mark; proud grandfather of Ethan, and father-in-law to Alba, passed away on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.

Keith’s life can be aptly described as one of contrasts.  This becomes evident when one considers Keith’s humble beginnings in rural Nebraska, where he spent much of his childhood tinkering with various pieces of farm equipment, while also attending school in a tiny, one-room schoolhouse with a single teacher.  Contrast this with Keith’s long and fruitful life of military service taking him throughout Asia, earning dual engineering degrees and, finally, settling in Chicago, where he enjoyed a lengthy career at two of the United States’ most renowned companies and lovingly raised a family.

Keith was born in 1933 in Rogers, Nebraska, to Clifford and Margaret McBurney.  While helping his father on their farm, Keith also took an early interest in the equipment and machinery used on the farm, which would ultimately prove foundational and set him on a path towards engineering.  However, following his graduation from Schuyler High School, Keith enrolled in the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL) to study agricultural science in anticipation of managing the family farm.

Keith, however, then decided to volunteer for the United States Navy, where he was stationed aboard the USS Walke, a destroyer.  Testing revealed Keith’s technical proficiency that ultimately put him in charge of some of the ship’s most vital navigation and electrical systems.  His service aboard the Walke saw him travel to many ports throughout Asia, such as Hong Kong and Darwin, Australia.  Keith’s experiences in the Navy would have a profound impact on his worldview and his chosen profession.

After being honorably discharged from the Navy, Keith returned to UNL, where he switched his major to Engineering.  While pursuing his studies, Keith met his future wife, Susan Swanson, through a Methodist Church function and the young couple began dating.  Susan was unusual in her own right as she was one of the few women at that time studying mathematics at the college level.  Keith graduated UNL with degrees in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.  That unique combination, along with his experience managing people acquired through the Navy, led to various job offers.

Keith accepted an offer based in Chicago from U.S. Steel, that was followed by a career spanning more than 30 years at Reynolds Metals Company, where he worked both as a manager and as the chief project engineer on the designing and construction of a $52 million rolling mill.  Keith and Sue wed in 1963 and subsequently raised their sons, Steven and Mark, in the Chicago suburbs.

Keith is remembered by his loved ones as a genuinely kind and honest man.  There are countless instances where Keith has helped those less fortunate, by buying food for complete strangers, as well as providing rides to people who had no other means to return to their homes.  Along with this generosity, was a quiet humility exhibited by many hailing from the Midwest.  However, no trait was more apparent than his tireless, steadfast devotion to his family, whom he loved and who will forever love him so dearly.

Visitation 4 to 8pm on Tuesday, February 6 at Hallowell & James Funeral Home, 1025 W. 55th St., Countryside. Burial at 1pm on Wednesday, February 7 at Bronswood Cemetery in Oak Brook.