A proud son of West Virginia has left us. On June 11, John Egan McAteer left this world. A native of Fairmont, he had resided in Wheeling since 1996.
A graduate of Wheeling (Jesuit) College (now Wheeling University) in 1961, Mr McAteer earned a master’s degree in political science at Georgetown University. He joined the Department of State in 1970 as a Foreign Service officer. His interest in the world beyond America’s shores was as expansive as the seemingly limitless forested landscape of his beloved West Virginia. During a nearly 30-year career, he served his country in posts from Israel, Yemen, and Africa to the capitals of Europe. Among other assignments, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Djibouti, refugee coordinator for the Horn of Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Deputy Chief of Mission to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization in Rome.
Following retirement from the State Department in 1996, John Egan returned to his Mountain Mama. He joined the faculty of Wheeling College as professor of political science. During the next two years, he taught courses on developmental issues that derived in part from his extensive experience in the global south. Because of the depth of his background, the State Department called upon him intermittently over the next six years to take on six-month assignments in the familiar terrain of Yemen and Ethiopia but also in such new locales as Albania and Chad.
The valued contributions he made in the various countries in which he served benefited from his ability to build relationships with the diverse and often conflicting elements of those societies. This was especially true in the developing world. Almost ethereally accommodative and adaptable, John Egan possessed a personality that was as calm and serene as the lush palette of flowers that adorn West Virginia’s rolling terrain in the spring.
While he never wore his values on his sleeve, John Egan was also committed to principled courses of action. Disturbed by the financial and accreditation struggles of Wheeling University, he, along with another former classmate, were instrumental in reestablishing the study of philosophy and theology that defined their alma mater as a Jesuit liberal arts institution.
Top among his many diversions, including his frequent presence on the tennis court, was his love of big band music. A skilled player of the double bass, John Egan never travelled anywhere without his instrument, including foreign postings. In his retirement in Wheeling, he played with a jazz ensemble and a small band.
John Egan McAteer leaves behind his wife, Angela D’Agnolo McAteer and his son, Marius. Another son, Simon, passed away in 2019.
Those who knew him mourn the passing of a decent, kind, and loyal friend and a loving husband and father. We are grateful for the time we spent with him and for the many ways in which he enriched our lives.
Funeral arrangements are as follows: Catholic Mass at Wheeling University Chapel at 11:00 am on Thursday, June 25th, followed by interment at Holy Cross Cemetery, Fairmont, at 4:00 pm. There will be a Celebration of Life gathering at the McAteer home on Friday, June 26th from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Family and friends are warmly invited.
Arrangements by Kepner Funeral Home, 900 National Rd., Wheeling (304-232-2732).
