Jack Keahey

Background

Keahey (pronounced KAY HE) was born to Jack Keahey, Sr. (1908–1995), and the former Rayma Lorena George (1912–2011) in St. Joseph, the seat of government of Tensas Parish, the smallest parish in population in Louisiana, located adjacent to the Mississippi River in northeastern Louisiana. The senior Keahey relocated to Louisiana from Cairo, Illinois, to assist in the construction of the Mississippi River levee. Rayma Keahey's family moved from Yell County in northern Arkansas to Newellton in northern Tensas Parish. Interest in levees hence spanned two generation of Keaheys.

Levee district

Keahey was a visible spokesman for his levee district operation, which earned repeated "Outstanding Maintenance Awards" from the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The Tensas district appeared strong amid questions having been raised about the preparedness of other levee districts in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

"I would say that we're the best run district in the state. We ought to be the model. Our board welcomes any scrutiny and will pass the test." Keahey told the Monroe News Star in 2006. John Stringer, the Tensas Levee District executive director, told the News-Star that Keahey was "a fine public servant and an even better friend. He was dedicated to the levee board and a wonderful steward of the public's money."

A pilot, Keahey founded a crop dusting company, Keahey Flying Service, in 1964. The firm remains operational under the direction of Keahey's son, Drew Keahey, also of Columbia. Keahey previously served as president of both the Louisiana and National agricultural aviation associations, and Drew has headed the Louisiana association.

Jack Keahey also built his own boat. He was a former member and president of the Caldwell Parish School Board. He was also affiliated with the Louisiana Pesticide Advisory Committee.

In 1991, Keahey made a failed bid for the statewide position of Louisiana commissioner of agriculture and forestry, having lost to the incumbent, his fellow Democrat, Bob Odom. He ran third and received 146,256 votes (11 percent) to Odom's 824,167 (60 percent). Republican Don Johnson finished second with 199,688 votes (15 percent). Two other candidates, one Democrat and one Republican, shared the remaining 14 percent of the vote.

Death

Keahey was a founding member of the Columbia Church of Christ and taught Sunday school there. He died of cancer. In addition to his mother, who still resided at the time of his death in St. Joseph, and his son Drew and Drew's wife, Becky, Keahey was survived by his wife of a half-century, the former Marie Herring; son, Cash Keahey of Richardson, Texas; daughter, Margo Keahey of Gallatin, Tennessee, and five grandchildren. His younger brother, Boyd Farrel Keahey (1937-1994), who ran unsuccessfully for sheriff of Tensas Parish in 1971 against the incumbent Theo "Bill" Poe, is interred in Newellton beside their parents.

Services were held in the First Baptist Church in Columbia. Interment was at the large Columbia Hill Cemetery in Columbia. Keahey's friend, Dave Norris, the mayor of West Monroe in Ouachita Parish, wrote in a personal letter that Keahey was "a fine, unselfish public servant — and those are not too common."

Keahey was succeeded as board president by Andrew Harris Brown (born June 1965) of Monroe, the sitting vice president and son of the late State Senator William Denis Brown, III. Drew Keahey was nominated to fill the seat previously held by his father.