Edward F. Keene

Edward F. Keene,

89, was born in Buffalo, NY, and moved to Batavia, NY in 1933 at age 5. He graduated from Batavia High School in 1945. Edward was a class officer, a member of the National Honor Society, dramatics club, speaking contest winner and lettered in football and track.

He enrolled in Syracuse University for a short period, but being classified as 1-A in the draft, he left school for two years to serve in the Navy. He obtained a fleet appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis which he attended for one year. However, with the conclusion of World War II, he returned to finish his college education at the Syracuse University School of Management where he majored in accounting and finance. Edward was a member of the Beta Alpha Psi accounting honorary, lettered three years in track and graduated cum laude in 1951. At Syracuse, he met and married Woodra Boyd from Bloomfield, NJ. They had five children and fifteen grandchildren. In 2009, after 60 joyous years together, she passed away at age 80.

Mr. Keene started his professional career back in Buffalo, NY with Price Waterhouse & Co., one of the big 5 public accounting firms where he became a certified public accountant. He subsequently worked for Carrier Corporation in Syracuse, Crucible Steel in Syracuse, Seneca Falls Machine Company in Seneca Falls, NY, Duofold in Mohawk, NY and Warnaco, Inc. in Bridgeport, CT. The latter was an apparel Fortune 500 company where he became a company officer and worked for 20 years until he retired in 1988.

During his retirement years, Edward continued to have an active interest in track and field and competed in the senior games in the discus and shot put. He won numerous gold and silver medals in New York State and New Hampshire. Several years he won gold medals in the senior meet for the Eastern United States in both the discus and shot put. He was named an All-American by USA Track and Field when he set the New York State record for his age group in the discus. Later, after moving to Keene, NH, he set the state shot put record for his age group. He competed in numerous national meets finishing in the top ten.

Edward is survived by his children, Douglas (Risa), Donald (Irene), Peter (Erin), Marsha (Phil) and Gretchen; fifteen grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Memorial services will be held in Keene, NH on July 29, 2017.

Arrangements entrusted to A.R.N. Funeral & Cremation Services. Friends may leave a memory or message of condolence by visiting the online obituary at www.arnmortuary.com.