Kevin attended public schools in Queens, NY, and graduated from the De La Salle Institute, New York City, in 1948. He attended Niagara University, Niagara Falls, NY, for two years before being appointed to West Point by Thomas Vincent Quinn, U.S. Representative from New York. Even as a small child, Kevin wanted to be a soldier, and West Point was his dream.

On 5 Jul 1950, he entered West Point. Academics were not his strong suit - he played on the Goat team in the Goat-Engineer football game in 1953 before the Army-Navy football game. Kevin was somewhat of a free spirit and had his share of demerits from his tactical officer. He graduated on 8 Jun 1954.

Kevin married Patricia Ann Sheridan in the Chapel of the Most Holy Trinity at West Point on graduation day. Five children were born to them: Kevin, Roberta, David, Trish, and Mary-Jo.

Kevin was initially commissioned in the Air Force and stationed at Moody AFB, Moultrie, GA, for flight training. He did not complete flight training and was reassigned to an Air Force pathfinder team in support of a jump that included his West Point Corps of Engineer classmates at Ft. Benning, GA. Kevin told his team to drive out to the drop zone (DZ), since he was jumping. He made arrangements with the manifest officer to get on a plane, jumped, and made a normal landing. On the DZ, Kevin observed that the other jumpers were laying out their chutes and rolling them over their elbows. He laid out his chute, and began to roll it up on his stomach. A jump school observer happened by and said “What are you doing, lieutenant?” Kevin looked up, paused and said “rolling up my chute, sir.” The observer said “And do you always do it that  way?” Kevin paused and replied “Yes, sir.” “And where did you go to jump school?” Kevin paused again and replied “Sir, I didn’t.” Kevin was banned from any further jump support at Ft. Benning but later became jump qualified and made 38 jumps to earn his senior jump wings.

Subsequent Air Force assignments included Ellington AFB (navigator school), Houston, TX; Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, AL; James Connally AFB (radar observer training), Waco, TX; and Otis AFB, Cape Cod, MA. He finally achieved the closest assignment the Air Force had to the Infantry—a combat controller at Pope AFB, Fayetteville, NC.

Kevin transferred to the U.S. Army Infantry as a captain in 1959. After Ranger school, he was assigned as a basic training company commander at Ft. Jackson, Columbia, SC. Kevin later was one of the earlier advisors to the South Vietnamese in 1963. He then was assigned as a company commander at Ft. Devens, MA. In 1965–66 he served in the brigade S3 office, 24th Division, in Munich, Germany. He requested reassignment

to Vietnam and served there from 1966 to1968 as an advisor. Wounded during the Tet counteroffensive in 1968, three days after returning from R&R in Hawaii, he was awarded the Purple Heart and retired with disability in 1970 because of the wounds he received in Vietnam.

Kevin earned an MBA from the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, in 1970. He attended LSU in Baton Rouge, LA, during 1972–74 and received a doctorate in Public Administration from NOVA University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, in 1978.

Kevin served on the staff and faculty of Troy State University, Pensacola, FL, 1975–82. He later taught at the Universities of Maryland and Southern California and on military bases in Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific, during 1983–88. He was a professor at Troy State University during 1988–95 and a field professor for Capital College during 1988–96.

Kevin was divorced from Patricia in 1981 and met Carol Opelt at a support group meeting in Pensacola, FL. After a swift courtship, they were married on 27 Nov 1981. Kevin and Carol repeated their vows in a Catholic ceremony at Good Shepherd Chapel in Agana, Guam, in 1984. Kevin later adopted Carol’s daughter Karen from her previous marriage.

Kevin showed great empathy towards a group of expatriate Vietnamese pilots who desperately wanted to get qualified to  fly in the United States. He expended significant energy and time in assisting the group in passing their FAA licensing tests. He also aided several of the pilots in finding employment in aviation. One of the pilots named a son after Kevin.

Kevin is survived by his widow Carol, his adopted daughter Karen, two grandchildren; his stepdaughter Nancy Gebert, and two step-grandchildren; a son, Kevin S. McKay; three daughters, Roberta Thomas, Trisha Griswold, and Mary-Jo  Thake; one grandson; and four granddaughters. Kevin was preceded in death by his son David.

Kevin was a true son of West Point. He epitomized West Point’s motto: Duty, Honor, Country.