Obituary

Suzanne L. Keene

Wed, 10/12/2022 - 10:00am

Suzanne Lewis Keene died on Oct. 9, 2022 at St. Andrews Village surrounded by family.

The daughter of Richard B. Lewis and Althea Harrington Lewis, she was born in Boothbay Harbor on June 16, 1937. She attended schools in East Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor where she was the salutatorian of the high school graduating class of 1955. After attending Burdett School in Boston majoring in business she worked in the office at Hodgdon Brothers Shipyard in East Boothbay. She graduated from Framingham State College in Massachusetts in 1974 with a BS in elementary education. She was a substitute schoolteacher in Massachusetts for several years before teaching for 15 years at the Massachusetts Hospital School in Canton.

Suzanne married Wayne Keene of Boothbay Harbor on June 2, 1957 in the Wilson Memorial Chapel at Ocean Point that was built by her grandfather Bennie Lewis. Sue and Wayne lived in Bangor while Sue took courses and Wayne completed his college degree at University of Maine, Orono. They moved to Niantic, Connecticut for one year of work and then it was back to Maine for more studying. Sue’s first daughter was born in Bangor. Next they lived in Sutton, Massachusetts for study at WPI in Worcester. Sue’s second daughter was born in Worcester.

Next it was a year in Severna Park, Maryland for a year of work where Sue took college courses while raising their children. They explored many Civil War battlefields and Washington, D.C. attractions and attended the 1965 Inauguration Parade for newly elected president Lyndon Johnson. She also had the opportunity to meet and shake hands with President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

Sue joined several quilting clubs and became a highly accomplished quilter. She made over 100 quilts and exhibited her creations at quilt shows in New Hampshire and Florida where she also taught quilting classes and demonstrated quilting techniques.

A fan of bluegrass music, Sue supported and enjoyed her favorite bands at many festivals and concerts in Florida and New England. As a traveler Sue visited 49 U.S. states, Europe and China. She enjoyed boating on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. In retirement Sue lived in New Hampshire, Arizona, Florida and East Boothbay, Maine.

Sue is survived by her daughters Sonya Keene of Nantucket and Nancy Donahue of Natick, Massachusetts and their husbands John Moy and Timothy Donahue; five grandchildren: Maria Moy and her fiancé Steve Saidkhanian of Vancouver, Washington, Kyle Donahue of Boulder, Colorado, Paul Moy and his wife Kelsey Sheridan of Superior, Colorado, Julia Moy of Charlottesville, Virginia, and Lauren Donahue of Henderson, Nevada; brothers Alan Lewis of East Boothbay and Richard Lewis of Cape Elizabeth, and many nieces and nephews as well as her first great-grandchild, Paul and Kelsey’s daughter Brooke.

The family will hold a private memorial at a future date.

Hall’s of Boothbay has care of the arrangements. To extend online condolences, please visit www.hallfuneralhomes.com