Allan Perry Kearney

Allan Perry Kearney, 86, of Russellville, Arkansas, died Friday, May 25, 2007 at the Veterans Hospital in Little Rock. The son of Perry and Maud Hysell Kearney, Allan was born June 3, 1920 in Sheridan, Wyoming; he later moved to Sacramento, California. In 1942, Al joined the Navy and served on submarines in the engine room, participating in five war patrols in the Pacific Theatre. While in Connecticut with his crew refitting a submarine, Allan traveled to New York and met the love of his life, Maudean Hollingsworth. One of a group of the first W.A.V.S, she was attending nursing school at Hunter College. They married at The Little Church Around the Corner on October 22, 1945.
Al was discharged from the Navy in 1945, but re-entered in 1950 when the Korean War broke out. For a year, he worked behind enemy lines as a platoon leader for an underwater demolition team, or Navy S.E.A.L.S., gathering intelligence and planting underwater mines in the North Korean enemy harbors. In 1952, Al switched to the Air Force and was assigned as a research and development projects engineer in the aerospace laboratory. While there, he completed the jumpmasters course, worked on the U2 spy airplane project, and worked with the nuclear weapons development program.
In 1962, he reported to duty in the 319th Troop Carrier Squadron, where he joined the Air Commandos and completed a tour of duty in Vietnam. He and his family moved to Honolulu, Hawaii for his last tour of duty, serving in the Military Airlift Command, dropping heavy supplies to the troops. Al retired from the Air Force in 1969 and moved to Mississippi with his family.
After completing three careers, he began another at Sunbeam electric in Forest, Mississippi, where he worked until his fourth retirement in the early 1980s. He earned his Bachelors of Science degree from William Carey College in Hattiesburg 1976. Al began a long and happy retirement with his wife Maudean that later took him to Russellville, Arkansas in 1998, where both of his children and their families live.
Allan was a member and former commander of the American Legion Post 22, member of the VFW, Disabled American Veterans, and a Master Mason. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Dot Shaffers and Marge Munnizich, and a brother, Robert. He is survived by his wife Maudean, his son, Perry Allan Kearney, his daughter, Denise Kearney Harvell, and his granddaughter, Kristen Kearney, as well as Perrys wife Kathy Kearney, and Denises husband Robert Harvell. Public viewing will be from 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon on Tuesday, May 29 at Humphreys Funeral Service, with a 2:00 p.m. service in the chapel. Al will be buried at the Arkansas State Veterans cemetery at Jacksonville in a private military ceremony on Wednesday, May 30.

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