Keane, Rev. Alfred V. of Maryknoll, NY died July 7, 2007.
Beloved son of the late Thomas and Mary (Lydon) Keane. Devoted brother of Rev. Thomas Keane of Boston, Judith Keane of Quincy, and the late Mary Anne and Richard Tripp. Cherished uncle of Scott Tripp and his wife Jeanne of Walpole, John Davidson and his wife Celeste of GA, Charles Tuomi and his wife Erin of Newbury, and Julie Hubbard and her husband Will of GA. Dear granduncle of Marty and Rose Tripp, Jack and Sofia Davidson, Noah and Freya Tuomi, and Cassie and Lydie Hubbard.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the Mass of Remembrance from the Saint Ann's Church, 757 Hancock St. Quincy, on Friday at 11 AM.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Rev. Keane may be made to Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Maryknoll, NY 10545.
Rev. Alfred V. Keane was born on July 20, 1931 in Boston, Massachusetts to Thomas P. and Mary (Lydon) Keane. Fr. Keane is survived by one brother Rev. Thomas, a retired priest of the Boston Archdiocese and former pastor of St. Ann’s parish in Quincy and one sister, Judith of Quincy. His sister, Mary Anne Tripp and her husband Richard Tripp are deceased. He has three nephews; Charles, John, and Scott and one niece, Julie. He also has three grandnephews and five grandnieces.
Father Keane joined Maryknoll in 1949 and was ordained on June 14, 1958. Immediately after ordination, Father Keane was assigned to Korea where he served his entire overseas ministry. While in Korea, he engaged in various pastoral ministries in the dioceses of Chong Ju and Inchon. Besides parish assignments in the diocese of Chong Ju, he also served as a high school teacher and was principal of Sacred Heart School for the Deaf. Building on the foundation of his Maryknoll predecessors, he initiated modern education for the deaf in Korea.
In the diocese of Inchon, he was the first pastor of Holy Family parish in Pou Pyeong, Inchon. He continued his support for the well being of his people through the foundation of a credit union, assistance for workers in the factories and aid to a large group of lepers in the area. During this time, he also served the Society as OTP Coordinator, Research and Planning coordinator and worked to establish the Maryknoll Language School. It was while in the capacity of pastor that Father Keane became aware of the problems facing the Amerasian children in Korea and other parts of Asia. He devoted his efforts to the passage of a law by the U.S. Congress allowing these rejected children to come home to America. Of this, President Regan wrote to him: “I personally wish to thank you for your tireless efforts…in bringing the plight of these children to the attention of the American public and government.” Cardinal O’Connor also wrote: “I have deeply admired your selfless dedication to the cause of Amerasian children.”
His favorite scripture is from St. Paul to the Corinthians: “By the grace of God, I am who I am.” Father Keane says, “Grace is a gift, a gift that makes me first a gift to self and then to and for others.”
In declining health, Fr. Keane spent the last several years in the loving care of the staff at St. Theresa’s Residence in Maryknoll, NY. Fr. Keane died on July 7, 2007 and was buried with his Maryknoll family on July 11, 2007.
A Mass of Remembrance will be celebrated at St. Ann’s Church, 757 Hancock St. Quincy, MA Friday, July 13, 2007 at 11:00 AM.
Donations may be made in Fr. Keane’s name to the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Maryknoll, NY 10545.