Obituary of John J. Keene

John Keene, a lifelong Burlington resident and local businessman passed away on April 7, 2024.  He was 79.  John was born at the Choate Hospital in Woburn.  He was one of five children born to Frederick and Christina Keene.  He was a graduate of Burlington High School Class of 1961.  He served his country for six years in the Army National Guard.  John went to work as a carpet installer at the age of 18 years old.  By the age of 24 he owned his own company, Keene Carpet which he operated until 2006 when he passed the business to his nephew and retired.  Keene Carpet had a retail store on Cambridge Street in Burlington selling commercial and residential carpets and flooring. Into his 60s, John was personally on the job, installing many of the floors he sold. For John, a handshake was his word.  He treated his clients like family, always giving them a fair price and quality service.  He took pride in his workmanship and would never leave an installation until the job was perfect.  He loved chatting with his clients, if they were new to town hearing about where they were from, and talking about Burlington or any other topic.  He had an extremely loyal customer base that spanned generations.  John loved his work and clients whom he treated like old friends. He couldn’t do enough for his employees.  After years of hard worked he looked forward to enjoying retirement.

John took great pride in the community.  He was a member of the Jaycee’s and Burlington Knights of Columbus.  He sponsored youth sports teams, concerts on the common, and even entered a float in the Bicentennial July 4^th parade.  Concerned about Burlington’s future, he ran for the Burlington Board of Selectmen.  He had a big heart and was extremely generous.  He installed the carpets at St. Margaret’s Church multiple times.  He would spend hours during a snowstorm going up and down his street helping neighbors with cleaning their driveways.  If someone needed a helping hand on a project or moving something John was always there.  He had a big heart, believed in community, and treating others like you would want to be treated.

In John’s leisure time he enjoyed golfing or spending time at the cottage.  First up in Limerick, ME and then on his 100+ acre property in Barnstead, NH.  He was never one to sit still.  So, he would fill his day on the lake, working on his home, cottage or around the yard, riding his ATV, or clearing the trails on his property.  He loved to entertain and share his treasures with others.  He and his wife, Flo, traveled a fair amount visiting places like Iceland, Holland, Switzerland, England, France, Italy, Aruba, and Hawaii.  As a father, he was a strong role model.  “Do the right thing”, “hard work is everything”, “take pride in whatever you do”, and “treat others with respect even if you don’t agree with them” were all mantras John shared with his son.  In his later years it was all about his grandsons.  He went to their hockey, football, and baseball games, and other activities and interests.  John has had more than a few health scares over the years, but his determination and stubbornness always prevailed.  He would be happy to hear that his legacy was he was a good man who spoke the truth and loved his family immensely.

John was the loving husband of Florence (LaQuaglia) Keene for 58 years.  He was the loving father and father-in-law of John Keene Jr. and his wife Debbie of Needham.  He was the proud grandfather of Brian and Michael Keene of Needham.  John was the brother of Frederick Keene of Burlington, the late Ann Hamilton, Lucille Nett, and Kevin Keene.  He was also survived by many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn Street, Burlington on Sunday, April 14 from 2-5pm. Funeral from the Sullivan Funeral Home on Monday, April 15 at 9am, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Margaret Church in St. Veronica Parish, www.stveronicama.org, 111 Winn Street, Burlington, at 10am. Services will conclude with a burial at Pine Haven Cemetery in Burlington. 

Memorials in John’s name may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, , www.michaeljfox.org, Grand Central Station, P.O. Box 4777, NY,NY 10163. 

For online guestbook and video tribute see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net.