Pearl River philanthropist Jeffrey Keahon who 'embodied service' dies at 69

Jeffrey Keahon, a respected Rockland County philanthropist and student of history, died Wednesday at the Joe Raso Hospice Residence in New City. He was 69.

The Pearl River resident dedicated himself to a broad range of causes.

Keahon served as president of the Nyack Hospital Foundation, Keep Rockland Beautiful, the Rockland YMCA, and the Rotary Club of Pearl River. Since 1992, he served as a board member with Jawonio, an agency that aids people with developmental disabilities in Rockland, Westchester and New Jersey.

At one time or another, Keahon was also involved with Rotary International District 7210, which covers 66 communities and eight counties of the Hudson Valley; the Hi-Tor Animal Care Center; NAMI-FAMILYA of Rockland County; and the Rockland Community Foundation just to name a few.

Jawonio CEO Jill Warner said in a statement that Keahon devoted his life to service to others.
“He was one of the most ardent supporters of mental illness and developmental disabilities, and his voice ... will be missed,” Warner said. “He served with distinction at Jawonio, and I will miss a very dear friend, mentor and individual who embodied service before self.”

Keahon was honored over the years for his community service, including receiving the Philanthropist of the Year award from the Rockland Development Council. Jawonio, the Mental Health Association of Rockland, the Association for the Visually Impaired and the Arthritis Foundation also presented him with awards in gratitude for his contributions.

A history buff, Keahon also was the past president of the Historical Society of Rockland County and a member of the American Revolutionary Round Table. In 2009, he portrayed Henry Hudson to commemorate the quadricentennial of the explorer’s voyage up the Hudson River.
Keahon served with the U.S. Army’s 387th Transportation Company in Vietnam. He went on to work for 16 years at Keahon Brothers Inc., a Rockland concrete company established in the 1930s by his father and two uncles.

Funeral arrangements were not immediately available on Wednesday.

Twitter: @ksaeed1

http://www.lohud.com/article/20130918/NEWS02/309180083/Pearl-River-philanthropist-Jeffrey-Keahon-who-embodied-service-dies-69