Obituary of McKoon, Carl Lee

Carl Lee McKoon Dallas, Texas passed away on Sunday, January 17, 2021 at the age of 92. Carl was born in Niota, Illinois on May 14, 1928 to Margarite and Clarence McKoon.  He was the third child of five children.  His siblings were Alvin, Marge, Dorothy and Jerry.  He attended a one room school until he attended high school from which he graduated at the age of 16.  As a teenager, Carl was hard working, determined and strong willed.  Hence, it wasn’t difficult for his father to grant him permission to enlist in the Navy at the age of 17 in July 1945.  After being honorably discharged, Carl continued his enlistment in the Naval Reserve for 12 years. He returned to Illinois and attended college while working weekends for the Santa Fe Railroad.  During this time, he met Betty Ann Karhoff whom he married on January 20, 1951.  Shortly afterward, the Santa Fe Railroad moved them to Phoenix, Arizona where their only child, Melody Ann was born. He was transferred to El Paso, Texas and continued working for the railroad for about 10 years. While living in El Paso he made a career change and began working for New York Life Insurance Company.  After selling life insurance he moved into management and was promoted to General Manager of the Little Rock, Arkansas office.  He was later promoted to Regional Superintendent for New York Life in Dallas, Texas.  After four years, he was promoted again to General Manager of the office in Chicago, Illinois.  After 20 years of employment with New York Life, Carl decided to retire and form his own company with Betty Ann. They organized Protective Marketing Association and later formed Rx Card Inc. and Consumer Marketing Inc., all of which were in the insurance industry. In 2004, they retired and moved back to Dallas, Texas.  On September 10, 2012, Carl lost his beloved wife of 61 years, Betty Ann, to pancreatic cancer. Carl was active in many church and community organizations. For example, he was President of the Chamber of Commerce of Olympia Fields, Illinois.  He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Men’s Club, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at All Saints Catholic Church.  He was known for his acts of service to others. Whenever a family member, friend or employee needed assistance, he was always available to help.  He had a passion for baseball and was a lifelong fan of the St. Louis Cardinals.  He loved to drink a beer and watch them play.  He loved his dogs, Pierre, Muffin and Brandy.  Carl is survived by his daughter and son-in-law Melody and Don Fortenberry, grandchildren, Eric Fortenberry and wife, Dejah and Megan and husband, Perry Porterfield, and four adorable great grandchildren, Newberry, Grayson, Carter and Lennie and his sister, Dorothy Fulton and brother, Jerry McKoon. Carl was dearly loved and will be missed. A Rosary at 10:15 am, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00 am will be held on Monday, January 25 at All Saints Catholic Church, 5231 Meadowcreek Dr, Dallas, Texas.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at All Saints Catholic Church, or to the ASPCA. Please leave the family condolences and share memories on this website.