James Thurston Keene Jr.

James Thurston Keene, Jr. peacefully passed away in his home surrounded by his loving family March 9, 2026. He was born in San Antonio, Texas at Lackland Air Force Base on January 9, 1953, to James Thurston Keene and Alice Seymour Keene. Shortly after his sister Susan Keene Hershberger was born the family decided to move to Maine. It is said James left kicking and screaming not wanting to leave Texas!

James, nicknamed “Jimbo”, graduated from Orono High School in Orono Maine in 1971. He was a lifelong lover of sports, particularly baseball, and was an encyclopedia of baseball statistics in his younger years largely due to his obsession with “Strat-O-Matic”baseball. “Jimbo” earned four varsity letters his senior year at OHS and became a legend in Orono because of a song written about him when he was a freshman. The song was sung on spectator and team buses long after he graduated. Former MLB coach, Brian Butterfield, also an alumnus of Orono High School, taught the song to all four of the major league teams he coached, and his players sang it in their locker rooms. Both the Boston Globe and Sports Illustrated Magazine ran stories featuring Jimbo’s song which was sung to the tune of the theme song for the western TV series; “Bronco”. The words are:

Jimbo, Jimbo, tearing across the Kelley Road

Jimbo, Jimbo, Jimbo Keene.

There’s not a man that he can’t handle,

Hits the ball like Mickey Mantle,

When it comes to JV ball,

Jimbo is the best of all.

After high school James received an associate’s degree in criminal justice and went on to get a four-year degree in Physical Education at the University of Maine in Orono. He participated in the ROTC program which led him to signing up for the US Army. Always going above and beyond James decided to go to Ranger School where he graduated in the early ‘70s. Forever a searcher of knowledge he also received two master’s degrees while in the Army. He served his country proudly for 14 years and retired as a Major.

Being a true Texan James decided to come back to the great state of Texas where he pursued a career in law enforcement. He joined the Houston Police Department in 1995 and retired as a Senior Police Officer after serving the city for 25 years, 10 months and 1 day.

While James was working as an officer he met the love of his life, Kathy. He had a premonition when he was told, at that time by Sgt. Spjut, he had a ride along waiting for him in the lobby at Westside. He had been given many ride a longs but with this particular one he got butterflies before even seeing her. James would later tell her he knew there would be something special about that girl waiting for him. Two years later they were married. He was well known at the school where she worked for bringing beautiful flower arrangements every Monday to brighten her week. He did it religiously for three years when she finally told him he didn’t need to do it anymore. As one friend would later say James became the standard for husbands. Every time her girlfriends would ask, “How are you doing James? “He would say, “Wait one moment,” look at his wife and ask her, “Do you still love me?” And most of the times she would reply, “Yes!” Then he would tell them, “I’m doing great!” His friends at the station would say, “WWJD?” (What Would James Do) and ask him for some pointers on how they can surprise their wives or girlfriends.

He loved God more than anything and James and his wife shared an incredible life together, raised three wonderful children, enjoyed two beautiful grandsons and rarely were away from each other for long periods of time. His favorite thing to do was to hold hands in the car, watch tv, especially the Boston Red Sox, and camp in the RV.

James is survived by his wife Kathy Clayton Keene, his children; Joshua Clayton Keene and his wife Ashley R. Keene and two grandsons Brantley Timothy Keene and Jameson Eli Keene of Winnsboro, Texas; Hannah Alyse Keene of Richmond, Texas and her fiancé Jason Baker; Jacob Andrew Clayton Keene of Richmond. His sisters Susan Keene Hershberger and her husband Kevin Hershberger of Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Donna Keene Murphy and her husband Mike Murphy of Jefferson, Maine; Edith Keene of Raleigh, North Carolina; Marie Keene Evan’s and her husband of South Haven, Mississippi; his in laws, Robert and Ellen Clayton of Richmond, Texas; brother-in- law Bill Clayton and his wife Holli Clayton of Houston; along with 9 nieces and 8 nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents James Thurston Keene and Alice Seymour Keene of Leeds, Maine; his oldest son James Timothy Keene of Houston, Texas.

The family would also like to thank Fernando Hernandez, the King of Care, Kowettie Green and Angie Todd from Fairmont Hospice. The dignity they showed James was unmeasurable and their love and dedication made this difficult time more bearable.