Having just returned home after flying 3 consecutive international and transcontinental sectors .... over some 21 hours flying time .... and over some 30 hours total trvelling time also .... AND .... as John KEANE and myself had, over the past several years, cultivated a very fine friendship between us .... he being 1 of a number of HJG team members whom I've, personally, represented "HERE" throughout the duration of his association with us .... this "IS NOT" the kind of news I welcome nor ever expected to return home to.
John and myself shared many a thing in common .... ranging from our airline interests to our enjoyment of ship modelling in particular.
I always respected John as being a "PERFECTIONIST" in everything he set out to achieve .... be it his FS texture work or his ship model detailing in particular. I remember, sharing many a pleasant discussion with John (whom would occasionally called me from Taiwan) in regard to new release kits and improvements of the detailing associated with existing kits to further perfect large ship models like the BISMARCK, TIRPITZ, SCHARNHORST, GNEISENAU, PRINZ EUGEN, HIPPER, LUTZOW, GRAF SPEE, LUSITANIA, MAURETANIA, OLYMPIC, TITANIC, and BRITANNIC .... all of which I remembered discussing with him over time. Even in regard to his modellig John was never a person to just sit back and complain about something/anything that wasn't quite right, but rather (and also rather like myself too), he'd always research, reconstruct if necessary, and then apply the necessary solutions in order to improve/resolve whatever appeared to be physically/proportionately incorrect in any ship model. John was a true master craftsmen in this respect.
John was also a person full of great energy and enthusiasm in regard to his FS texture work .... his ship modelling ..... his teaching of English in Taiwan .... his family "in particular" .... his breeding of tropical fish .... and his enjoyment of good glass of G&T too .... AND .... virtually every other imaginable project (including his interests within the hotel/tourism/hospitality industry) also .... all of which he undertook with a great sense of personal pride, compassion, enjoyment, along with a tremendous sense of commitment toward.
I always appreciated John's great and apparently endless sense of wit/humour too .... and which was something that even became evident within his HJG avatar as well .... particularly in regard to the movie "MISTER ROBERTS" (which was one of his old favourates) and the classic
"WHO DID IT - WHO DID IT" line within that movie .... which was a reference to a particular piece of script/scene within which Mr ROBERTS, in a moment of absolute exuberance, uplifted his unpopular, eccentric, and anti-social masters prized palm tree and then hurled it off the ships bridge/over the side and into the sea .... then later, calmly but confidently, confessing ....
"CAPTAIN .... I JUST THREW YA STINKING PALM TREE OVER HE SIDE". Stuff like that really amused old John .... in as much as it also really amused myself too.
John may now be gone now .... and there's absolutely nothing any of us can do to change that regardless of the fact that we'd like be able to do so for his and everyone elses benefit .... BUT.... as long as this FS group continues survive then so will a part of John survive "HERE" with us also .... both within the many fond memories, respect, and appreciation that each one of us (those whom knew him personally in particular) all felt toward him, and also in regard to everything else he contributed toward HJG in the form each one of the beautiful FS textures he so cleverly, and proudly, undertook for us .... each of which we are proud to be able offer "HERE" on his behalf and as follows ....
B707-120PAN AMERICAN (1966) N711PA
WESTERN AIRLINES (1960) N74614
WESTERN AIRLINES (1962) N74613
B707-120BPAN AMERICAN (1969) N711PA
B707-320B ADVCNORTHWEST AIRLINES (1963) N355US (B707/320B ADVC SCD)
NORTHWEST AIRLINES (1965) N352US (B707/320B ADVC SCD)
NORTHWEST AIRLINES (1968) N377US
NORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES (1972) N354US (B707/320B ADVC SCD)
NORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES (1975) N379US
B707-320CNORTHWEST AIRLINES (1963) N362US
NORTHWEST AIRLINES (1967) N368US
NORTHWEST AIRLINES (1968) N382US
NORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES (1972) N382US
NORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES CARGO (1974) N359US
UGANDA AIRLINES (1982) 5X-UBC
UGANDA AIRLINES (1982) 5X-UAC
WESTERN AIRLINES (1968) N1502WA
ZAMBIA AIRWAYS (1980) 9J-AEL
ZAMBIA AIRWAYS CARGO (1981) 9J-AEQ
B720-020BELIZE AIRWAYS (1978) VP-HCM
BELIZE AIRWAYS (1979) VP-HCO
BELIZE AIRWAYS CARGO (1979) VP-HCN
PACIFIC NORTHERN AIRLINES (1962) N720W
PACIFIC NORTHERN AIRLINES (1967) N720V
PACIFIC NORTHERN AIRLINES/BRANIFF INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS (1967) N7081
WESTERN AIRLINES (1968) N720V
B720-020BNORTHWEST AIRLINES (1961) N728US
NORTHWEST AIRLINES (1967) N722US
NORTHWEST AIRLINES (1968) N721US
NORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES (1972) N725US
WESTERN AIRLINES (1962) N93142
WESTERN AIRLINES (1966) N93146
WESTERN AIRLINES (1967) N93147
B727-100NORTHWEST AIRLINES (1969) N463US
NORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES (1974) N464US
B727-200 ADVCNORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES (1981) N279US
DC8-61BIRGINAIR (1991) TC-MAB
CANAFRICA CTA ESPANA (1986) EC-DZA
CANAFRICA CTA ESPANA (1987) EC-DYY
DC8-61CF/FLOFTLEIDIR ICELANDIC AIRWAYS (1974) N8960T
TRANS INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES (1968) N8962T
TRANS INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES (1973) N8961T
DC8-63CF/FAMERICAN FLYERS AIRLINE
ATLANTIS AIRWAYS
LOFTLEIDIR ICELANDIC AIRWAYS (1971) N8631
LOFTLEIDIR ICELANDIC AIRWAYS (1972) N8641
SEABOARD WORLD AIRLINES (1974) N8639
TRANS INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES (1970) N4866T
TRANS INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES (1970) N4869T
I'll always remember the fun John and I enjoyed together whilst he worked up each of the above textures for HJG .... and for "EVERYONE" else to enjoy too.
John leaves behind a wife and a young daughter.
I ask that those whom may wish to .... kindly spare a thought and prayer for both John and his family during this particularly difficult and distressing time.
Do consider lighting a candle in memory of our respected and valued friend and HJG colleague ....
John MARTIN KEANE .... 1967-2012 .... RIP.Mark C
AKL/NZ
... I figured he just wasn't posting because he was busy, and posts from him I now know were from a 'bot were showing up regularly He and I had even made tentative plans to get together when he was next in the US to tour the many historic aviation sites here in Kansas.. While I do not know anything about Mongolian law, I hope the person the police have in custody that confessed sees swift and strong justice. I'm assuming so since of all the US government pressure to find John. 
