Francis Xavier McGeechan (August 9, 1930 – January 21, 2023) beloved husband and father passed away unexpectedly, peacefully surrounded by the family he cherished.

Continuing in the footsteps of his grandfather who was a Rough Rider in Cuba with Teddy Roosevelt, Frank led a spirited life of adventure. He regaled us with tales of notable events he witnessed in his life, including the last flight of the Hindenburg over New York and listening in shock to the live broadcast of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds. Growing up in The Bronx, NY, he graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1948. Proudly graduating from the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY in 1953, he served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy. He traveled the world even serving time in the Korean War on a Navy destroyer.

After his Service, Frank designed and built steam boilers with Combustion Engineering including the Kingston (TN) Steam Plant. Frank went on to a long career at the Mobil Oil Corporation from 1970 to 1992 retiring as the Chief Engineer, Mobil Marine Division, Western Hemisphere.

Frank had a lifelong love of adventure and the outdoors enjoying flying, skiing, fishing, and hunting. In 1963 at a local ski club Frank met his lifelong love, Joyce Ann Van Beuzekom, of Hawthorne, NJ. Marrying in 1966, Joyce and Frank partnered to nurture what was most important to him over all things – his family. A favorite family tale is that of pilot Frank and his brother-in-law making an emergency landing in a cornfield. Trudging to a nearby farmhouse, they were convinced of their own demise when a deaf and mute family failed to acknowledge all attempts to gain their attention. He took his family on multiple extended cross-country RV trips to the wonders of the continental United States and raised them fishing, boating, sailing, and camping from Maine to Adirondack Park to Pismo Beach. He and Joyce continued into retirement enjoying camping and fishing on the Chesapeake Bay and Myrtle Beach, SC. Family gatherings were his favorite event, usually crowned by singing vintage favorites. His steel blue eyes would sparkle with joy when belting tenor Adeste Fideles to his childrens’ embarrassment at Christmas Mass, folk songs like The Fox Went Out One Chilly Night, or crooning lilting Irish melodies to Joyce such as When We Were Sweet Sixteen.

Frank supported and shared the passions of his children and encouraged their education and self-reliance, providing everything they needed to realize their dreams. Each of his children went on to achieve advanced degrees of which he was extremely proud, and he instilled in them independence and a love of family. He leaves a legacy of precious shared memories of a full life well-lived.

Frank is survived by his beloved wife Joyce Ann; daughter Kathleen (Jeff) Eyman of Kingston, TN; sons Mark F. McGeechan of Haymarket, VA and James H. McGeechan of Fairfax, VA; his cherished little sweetie Jack Russell Terrier Bella; and a host of extended family and friends that loved him dearly.

The family will receive family and friends at Baker-Post Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 10001 Nokesville Road, Manassas, VA 20110 on Monday January 30, 2023 from 10:30 to 11:30 AM, followed by a prayer service led by Father Vander Woude at 11:30 AM - Interment will follow at 1:00 PM at Quantico National Cemetery in Triangle, VA.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
https://www.stjude.org/

Tunnels to Towers Foundation
www.t2t.org

Or other similar charity meaningful to you in his name.


Please sign the guestbook at www.bakerpostfh.com

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