Michel McKearn was born September 1, 1941, the son of F.A. “Bud” and Flora “Betty” Post McKearn in Beloit. He graduated from Beloit Catholic High School in 1959 as Class Valedictorian. He married Billie Blankenship on August 20, 1966, in Long Beach, California. He attended Notre Dame University and graduated with the rank of Ensign through the Naval R.O.T.C. program there, completing a master’s degree in material management at the Naval Post Graduate School in December of 1971.

He served at sea for 18 months as Executive Officer on the USS Frances Hammond. In July 1977, after graduation from Armed Forces Staff College, he served as Executive Officer of the Naval R.O.T.C. unit at the University of Colorado at Boulder until February 1980. From 1988 until May 1989, Captain McKearn commanded the Maritime Pre-position Ships Squadron TWO located at Diego Garcia, a tiny island directly south of India. The military decided to station some pre-position ships there in order to be ready to react quickly to a contingency situation in that part of the world.

On August 2, 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait and these ships were immediately ordered to Saudi Arabia. It is fair to assume that Desert Storm may have turned out differently if these pre-positioned ships had not been stationed at Diego Garcia in a state of readiness. From June 1989 until his death in October 1990, Captain McKearn served as Director of the Navy Family Service Center at Charleston, South Carolina. During September 1990, when hurricane Hugo devastated Charleston, Captain McKearn organized a program in a gymnasium where by anyone with children could come to the gym and get help and sound advice. For his efforts there, Captain McKearn was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal.

Captain Michael McKearn died unexpectedly on October 4, 1990 in Charleston, South Carolina. Survivors included his wife, Billie, one daughter Alida, a student at Notre Dame University, his mother, Flora McKearn of Beloit and several cousins. Funeral services were held at the Daley-Murphy-Wisch and Associates Funeral Home with Lt. Father Robert Clark officiating. Burial was in Walworth Cemetery, Walworth, Wisconsin where military rites were conducted by the Great Lakes Naval Attachment.