Harry J. Keen

A man devoted to both science and faith, Harry J. Keen, age 97, peacefully left this world on the 8th Day of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday. Born in Gloucester, New Jersey to Catherine Theresa (Calnon) and Harry Martin Keen, he was the eldest of eight children raised during the challenges of the Great Depression. At a young age Harry became gravely ill, and he was not expected to live long. But indeed he did.

Early years of illness and economic hardship greatly influenced Harry’s adult life. He valued nutritious foods and daily exercise. Interested in all things scientific, including his own health, Harry bravely sought medical treatments that had the potential to advance his longevity and quality of living. Likewise, until his final days he was inquisitive about world economics and closely followed the daily stock market, wisely making his own investment decisions.

Born with a mind that was brilliantly curious and creative, Harry was the boyhood leader of his neighborhood because he was always thinking of ways to have fun, mostly unorthodox. In high school he successfully built one of the first televisions in his town from odd scraps and parts that picked up a signal from the Empire State building across the bay. People came from afar to the Keen household to see what this wondrous invention was all about.

Introduced by his sister, Ann, Harry met the love of his life, Mildred Ethyle Sellick. Married on August 2, 1948, they began their new life together near their families in Middletown, NJ. Using a design from a popular magazine and being their own general contractors, they laboriously built their first home after work and on weekends, mortgage-free. Eventually parents to eight children, Harry and Mildred welcomed in 1950 their first child, Elaine Theresa, soon followed by three more daughters and four sons.

Harry was an early experimenter and engineer of technology. Graduating from high school in 1942 having just turned 17, he immediately began working for Lavoie Labs in Matawan, NJ at a lab assistant. Here his engineering creativity excelled. Becoming an expert in analog technology, his first of many patents was filed in 1950 for his invention of a hydraulic tuning system for electronic devices. An expert in analog technology, he held numerous United States patents in diverse areas such as Ground Radar Communications (GRC) to guide aircraft landing, precision frequency and temperature control systems, lightning protection, educational equipment, moisture protection and infrared devices, explosion proof scales, and many more.With almost 50 years of continuous patented inventions, his final patent was granted in 1997 at age 74 for a digitally compensated hydraulic scale system. Inheriting in his early 20’s the “Keen white hair”, Harry was known among his colleagues as the “silver fox” for his ability to create new inventions to solve complex engineering problems.

In 1969 Harry and Mildred relocated the family to Lower Waterford, Vermont when Harry was offered a lead engineering position at Fairbanks Morse, where he continued to invent and solve problems using his engineering talent and skills around commercial weights and measures. Despite the cold winters, Harry and Mildred readily adapted to a new way of country living in northern Vermont that introduced them to conservation, nature, and land management. Harry truly enjoyed taking long walks with his growing children on dirt roads and forest trails as he offered sage advice and shared his wealth of knowledge. Harry provided many opportunities for his curious eight children to have fun with hands-on experiences with gadgets and inventions, including making small racing cars from lawn mower engines to developing a family camp on his beloved mountain property.

Harry was a self-taught man who read and viewed voraciously in the genres of science, technology, mechanics, economics and health. Family, friends, and colleagues sought his opinion or advice because of his innate ability to construct meaning from numerous authoritative sources. Want to know about black holes and space exploration? Ask Harry. How about the impact of a volatile stock market? Or should you purchase a gas, hybrid or electric car? What advances will healthcare have in the next 5, 10, or 25 years? And yes, what to do about the groundhog eating your tomato plants? To these and many, many questions Harry would have a calm, well-researched, and grounded opinion, even in his last days. Harry gave true meaning to life-long learning, never forcing his opinions but offering them for consideration.

After retirement, Harry volunteered to restore many of the mechanical and electrical exhibits at the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury, VT that were in need of repair. In particular, he fixed the permanent exhibits that used scientific or technical processes such as circuitry, electric propulsion, and other mechanized displays so that both children and adults could explore and learn about science and technology from actual demonstrations. Harry also was a member of the local snowmobile club for over 30 years, and when his sons were young, involved with scouting.

A philosophy that Harry and Mildred strictly adhered to as parents was fairness. By example, they taught their children to share, to be diligent students, to work hard, and to respect and to help each other. Because they instilled these attributes, in later years they could take much joy and pride in the independence and success of their family.

Harry and Mildred are now together again in their next adventure.

Predeceased by their daughter, Elaine Keen Harrington, they are remembered and loved by their children and spouses: Marie and Arthur Shaw, Nora and Richard Close, David and Monica Keen, Anita and Timothy Waite, Stephen Keen, Eric Keen and Nora Nirk, and Ronald Keen and Linda Blair. They leave 13 grandchildren: Rebecca Harrington, Rachel Harrington, Joe Shaw, Ken Shaw, Jessica Waite, Betsy Waite, Padraic Keen, Trevor Keen, Colleen Cappello, Kelly Keen, John Keen, Anne Keen, Paul Keen, Jackson Hall, and Mathew Hall and 15 great grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, Harry was predeceased by his sisters Theresa Keen, Mary Santa Maria and brother, Timothy Keen.

He is survived by his sisters, Ann Hillman and Jean Butler, his brothers, James Keen and Charles Keen and many nieces and nephews.

Services and burial for both Harry and Mildred Keen will be in Lower Waterford, VT this summer. Donations can be made in Harry Keen’s memory to Elsabeth Lahti Library, 15200 SW Adams Ave, Indiantown, FL 34956 or to Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, P.O. Box 016880 (D-880), Miami, FL 33101-6880.