He was born March 17, 1954 in Freeport, New York, to Rose Barr and Vincent Barry Kearney. He graduated from Smithtown High School (Smithtown, NY) before attending Suffolk Community College and Cornell University. At Cornell, he was an active member of the ΔΧ chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon (ΔΚΕ) Fraternity. After graduating from Cornell in 1979, John moved to Silicon Valley, to work as a mechanical engineer at Lockheed and enjoy the great outdoors. He loved to hang glide, canoe, and ride motorcycles. A desire to explore places well off the beaten path and a talent for frequently ignoring “no trespassing” signs often led John to adventures the common tourist could never imagine; his boyish charm, melodic voice, and genuine curiosity got him out of many tense situations while making him friends across the U.S. and around the world. In his downtime, he enjoyed listening to NPR, dancing, and narrating KMVT’s “On the Move” program for the differently-abled. His family and friends will always fondly remember his: many nicknames (including “Jack,” “Jake,” and “Murphy”); love of hot springs; booming voice yet soft heart; and penchant for always keeping in touch. John’s parents preceded him in death. He is survived by his daughter Emmalee (Portland, OR) and three brothers: Kevin (Cabin John, MD), Scott (Brooklyn, NY), and Paul (Brentwood, NY). In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in memory of “Brother Jake” Kearney to the ΔΚΕ Fraternity Robert Trent Jones Scholarship Fund. Checks should be made payable to “Cornell University – Fund #107527” and mailed to the Delta Chi Association Inc. at P.O. Box 876, Ithaca, New York 14851-0876. The family also requests friends and fellow motorcyclists respect his life by considering organ and tissue donation and taking the time to write a detailed advanced directive for health care to make your wishes known. As John used to say: “It’s not me I’m worried about; it is everybody else.”