Keven Shale MacGowan passed away at the young age of 60 on January 10, 2024. He was a remarkable man. He was known for his corny “dad” jokes that he laughed at with such vigor and conviction that it made you laugh even when it was only marginally funny. He loved life and especially his two sons whom he lovingly referred to as “my boys”. 

He and Alicia  raised their 2 boys in Rancho Palos Verdes for 24 years. During this time he coached their soccer teams when they were young. He was busy cheering the boys on when they went on to Peninsula High School to play football and tennis. During COVID he was responsible for setting up live stream so that everyone could enjoy the football games. He was an exceptional father. 

 Despite his Filipino traits, he clung to his Scottish heritage and even owned a kilt. When he was just a child, he read the entire encyclopedia and knew almost everything under the sun. He particularly had a love of coral reef fish and could identify every single one of them.  

He loved cars especially his 1960s Alfa Romeo coupe that  he restored himself. He reengineered the car to fit a Honda motor since he liked the body style of the Alfa and the reliability of the Honda engine. Here is the link for his maiden voyage of his restored Alfa   https://youtu.be/m8Dfj1yzGXA?si=sTas1mHCusmPNrtW

He also had a passion for USC football and all college football especially University of Oregon where his son Brett is currently a senior in college. Whenever possible he would trek up to Oregon to watch games with Brett and his fraternity brothers. He enjoyed traveling the world and experiencing other cultures.  

His second family was his tennis friends at South Bay Tennis Center where he enjoyed tennis workouts. The family thanks South Bay Tennis friends for bringing such joy to Keven's life. His boys also enjoyed tennis with him there as well. 

He was a proud graduate of the USC master’s in engineering program and an extremely talented electrical engineer. He was a very hard worker and  attended graduate school while working full time at TRW.  His contributions to the USA defense program benefited many programs during  the cold war and beyond. He worked at Aerospace Corporation for the last 25 years and is described by his distinguished colleagues as well respected and personable. 

Even during our family’s darkest moments, Keven had a way of making things lighthearted and funny. He made everyone smile and laugh. He certainly brightened a room when he entered it with his witty sense of humor.   Keven is survived by his two sons Ryan and Brett, his mother, Josephine and his two sisters, April, and Liz. May he rest in eternal peace.

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