Sally Florence McKeon, 88, of Portland, Oregon, passed away on Sept. 22, 2022 at The Cottages Senior Living - Memory Care. She was born to parents Esther Griffeth and Jack Houston, on Apr. 26, 1934 in Portland, Oregon.
Sally’s father Jack, a London born opera singer and wine shop owner, died unexpectedly when she was 12. Her mother Esther took over the management of the wine shop. As a child Sally was surrounded by music, religion and an assortment of personalities. Her lifelong love of music, art and God/Christ stem from these early experiences.
Sally attended an assortment of public and parochial schools in Portland. She graduated from Cleveland High School in 1952 where she played clarinet in the orchestra and marching band. Soon after graduation Sally married Jack Witherite. Daughter Patti was born in 1955 and son, Mark in 1956.
After she and Jack divorced in 1960, Sally studied at the Museum Art School, now PNCA. In August 1965, with a white female plaster statue strapped into the front passenger seat of her station wagon and pulling a u-haul trailer she transplanted herself and her 2 children to southern California. As a single divorced mom this was a bold move - especially in the fall of 1965 during the Watts Riots in LA. Sally met her second husband Jim McKeon at Long Beach State College soon after. They married in June of 1967.
In 1971 they family grew with the birth of their son James and in 1972 the family returned to Portland to assist Sally’s mother in the family bar supply business. They soon became active members of the St. Mary Magdalene Parish. Sally continued her studies at Portland State University, where she received a MA in Special Education.
A lifelong educator, Sally taught art to troubled teens, reading to children with learning challenges and was a substitute teacher throughout the Portland area. In addition, over the course of her life Sally worked in catering with the family business, as doll dresser in Death Valley and helped establish the first special education resource room in the Portland Public Schools. She was an accompanist for a ballet company and area churches playing piano at mass, weddings and funerals. In her later years she taught piano in her home. However, her most loved career was as a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunt.
Sally’s family remember her many passions: art, music, vacuuming, tai chi, walking, napping, rearranging furniture, collecting baskets, throw pillows and shopping at Pier One. Her children believed their dad regretted the day they moved a block away from Pier One at the Lloyd Center.
The final 3 years of her life were a challenge - yet over time her faith and support of family helped her face increasing blindness and memory loss with grace. She continued to find joy in painting and listening to a classical music. Her last painting was done a week before her death. On September 22 family and a local priest visited. She died that evening with her daughter and grandson at her bedside discussing art.
Sally is survived by her daughter Patti Witherite (Phil), sons Mark Witherite (Alice) and James McKeon (Elizabeth), grandchildren: Steve Elliott (Monica), Allison Pennington (Brett), Brittany Fasulo (Geoff) and great grandchildren: Lillian, Montana, Maximus, Kai, Killian and Winter.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the Alzheimer’s Association. Sally’s tribute page can be found at http://act.alz.org/goto/Sally_McKeon
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