George Keene

SCARBOROUGH — George A. C. Keene, 86, passed away peacefully on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015, at the Gosnell House in Scarborough.

The son of Elton C. Keene and Elizabeth O. Stevens, George was a lifelong resident of Bridgton. He was born on Jan. 2, 1929, attended local schools, and graduated from Bridgton High School in 1946.

After graduation George worked at Marches Clothing Store in Bridgton before joining the Navy in 1948. He served for six years while stationed in Norfolk, Va., and aboard the USS Bennington, including their Mediterranean Cruise in 1953–1954.

George and his wife Elizabeth Lea were married for 66 years. While home on leave from boot camp, George proposed to Elizabeth and after a one-day engagement they were married on Christmas Eve in 1948 by Elizabeth’s father, the Rev. Fergus Lea.

While in the service, George and Elizabeth communicated via letter, and in one such letter George added a “P.S.,” stating that when he got out of the service that he wanted to get a job with the post office and to raise chickens.

Upon his discharge, George held a variety of jobs, including clerking at Marches Convenience Store and delivering milk for Hoods Dairy. George joined the Army Reserves and was responsible for establishing and opening the Reserve Station on Depot St. in Bridgton. Subsequently he fulfilled his first dream, and was hired by the U.S. Postal Service in Bridgton as a carrier, and was eventually promoted to Assistant Postmaster. In 1981 George was promoted to Postmaster of Brownfield, where he remained until his retirement in 1992 after more than 40 years of government service.

George and Elizabeth moved to “The Farm” in South Bridgton in 1957, where they raised cows, chickens, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits and four children. They had a working farm with beef cattle, milking cow, a large vegetable garden, hay fields and a local route delivering fresh eggs door to door. In 1967 George fulfilled his second dream by building a poultry house and raised flocks of 36,000 broilers every 6–8 weeks. In his retirement he converted the poultry house to the Keene Storage Facility that remains in business to this day.

George was a 50-year member of the Masonic Order and the Order of Eastern Star, as well as a longtime member of Chapter, Commandery and The Shriners.

He had a passion for finance and numbers, serving as treasurer for the Bridgton High School Scholarship Foundation for 31 years, as well as the Masons and Eastern Star. He also was a collector for the First Congregational Church in Bridgton for many years.

George was predeceased by his oldest daughter, Shelley Vaughan (William), of Belfast.

He is survived by his wife Elizabeth Keene; a daughter, Vickie Fulton (Temple) of Elizabethton, Tenn.; two sons, Matthew Keene (Shirley) of Hilton, N.Y., and Jonathan Keene (Denise) of Falmouth; 10 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and his sister-in-law Joan Emerson, also of Bridgton.

The family would like to give thanks to the staff of Hospice of Southern Maine for their assistance, love and care shown to George during his final days.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a gift to Hospice of Southern Maine. Gifts may be mailed to HSM at 180 US Route One, Scarborough, ME 04074, or may be made online at www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org/give

A memorial service will be held at the First Congregational Church of Bridgton, 33 South High St., on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 2 p.m. with a reception immediately to follow in the vestry. To offer condolences please visit www.woodfuneralhome.org