1936
James
2017
James John Keenan (Keenan)
March 12, 1936 — December 2, 2017
James Keenan passed away peacefully at home on December 1st at the age of 81. He was born in Beacon, NY, on March 12, 1936, and is predeceased by his wife Mary (nee Kennelly) Keenan, parents Thomas and Margaret Keenan, two brothers, Edward and Thomas, and his sister Margaret Sullivan.
He is survived by three brothers; Joseph, William, and Frank, and by his five children, Mary Ellen Fulling and husband Frank, Apex, NC, Dr. James F. Keenan and his wife Kathy, Bennington, Michael and Deirdre Keenan, Cicero, NY, Peter and Sheila Keenan, Langhorne, PA, and Brian and Allison Keenan, Victor, NY. He is also survived by his 14 grandchildren, Kayleigh, Daniel, Liam, Catie, Luke, Bridget, Michael, Mackenzie, Kelly, Aiden, Aislinn, Owen, Connor, and Caitlin.
Mr. Keenan attended St. Joachim's Grammar School in Beacon and graduated from St. Patrick's High School in Newburgh, NY before enlisting in the U.S Marine Corps. Following his service, he completed his Bachelor's degree in Industrial Relations from LeMoyne College, Syracuse, NY.
Mr. Keenan spent his career with AT&T. He was a labor relations and general manager for the company's Western Electric division in New York City and Newark, NJ. He later helped AT&T's Lucent Technologies division earn its first ISO certification when he worked in quality improvement in Parsippany and Holmdel, NJ.
Mr. Keenan and his wife Mary lived in Somerset, NJ for over 30 years where they raised their family and were very active in fund raising and youth activities at their parish, St. Matthias. Upon retiring, they moved to Nashua, NH before living their final years in Bennington, VT, where they were congregants at Sacred Heart St. Francis Church.
Mr. Keenan was extremely devoted to his wife of 56 years, who he cared for and missed greatly since her passing in 2016. Mr. Keenan also loved spending time with family and friends, and truly enjoyed large gatherings with his children and grandchildren. He took interest in many things including photography and travelling, and was known for his kind heart and his wonderful sense of humor. He loved engaging with family, friends, and strangers in dialogue about science, the arts, current events, and just about any topic imaginable.
A Mass of Christian Death and Burial will be held on Friday afternoon, December 8, at Sacred Heart St. Francis de Sales Church in Bennington at 2:00PM.
Friends may call at the Mahar and Son Funeral Home, 628 Main St. in Bennington on Thursday evening, December 7, 2017 from 5-7PM.
Interment will take place in St. Joachim, St. John's Cemetery in Beacon, New York, on Saturday, December 9, 2017 at 11:00AM
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Dialysis Center in his name.
Guestbook condolences may be made at www.maharandsonfuneralhome.net
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of James John Keenan (Keenan), please visit our flower store.
Service Schedule
Past Services
First Visitation
Thursday, December 7, 2017
5:00 - 7:00 pm (Eastern time)
E. P. Mahar and Son Funeral Home
Service Information
Friday, December 8, 2017
Starts at 2:00 pm (Eastern time)
Sacred Heart Saint Francis de Sales Church
Interment Location
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Starts at 11:00 am (Eastern time)
St. Joachim, St. John's Cemetery
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