William Henry Keene Jr.
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[William Henry Keene Jr., a resident of Harrisburg, died at 5:37 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008, at Harrisburg Medical Center. He had been battling illness as a result of leukemia and lymphoma for about a year.
He was born in Harrisburg, the eldest son of William Henry Keene Sr. and Elsie Marie Keene, nee Wynne, and the eldest child of eight children. He attended Lincoln Elementary School and Harrisburg High School. His childhood, during the Depression, was one of hardship and poverty, as were many families', but was filled with a lively and full family life. His father, a World War I veteran, coal miner and part time pianist, was a strict disciplinarian, whilst his mother was a very loving, sweet and kind housewife who helped balance out the household. Together they provided for the family and were models for the children's later life.
William, or Bill, as he was known to most people, was the eldest brother to two sisters, Lillian and Barbara Jean, and five brothers, Norman, Charles, Ralph, Wendell and Jack. Bill was also life-long friends with his cousin Jimmy and friend Leroy.
He was an average student but an outstanding athlete, attending Harrisburg High School and participating in track, football, baseball and cross-country. It was obvious to everyone he was a talented athlete and especially runner, later attending Xavier University in New Orleans, La., on an athletics scholarship prior to World War II. During the war, Bill interrupted his studies and volunteered for the United States Marine Corps, serving in the South Pacific from 1944 to 1946, in Tinian, Yap, Saipan, Roi-Namur and Guam amongst other places, attaining the rank of platoon sergeant, and being honorably discharged in April 1946 at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
After the war, Bill finished his undergraduate education at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, graduating with a bachelor's degree in education. He was awarded an athletics scholarship in cross-country, becoming a member of the team coached by "Doc" Lingle and was team captain, lettering in 1951. After finishing at Southern Illinois University in 1951, Bill worked for the Ford Motor Company and as a taxi driver.
The first of two marriages took place during World War II to Tessie Allen. They had two children, William Edward and Teresa. The marriage dissolved after a while and Bill went to California to study for a master's degree at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif., completing the first year. After leaving Cal Poly, Bill went to work in the California prison system as a teacher and coach at Paso Robles Juvenile Detention Center in Paso Robles, Calif., living in Vallejo, Calif.
He eventually returned to Chicago to work in the Chicago Housing Authority and then returned to Harrisburg for a while before joining the Job Corps as part of the U.S. Forest Service, starting in 1967 in Mountainair, N.M., before being transferred to Grants, N.M., where he met his second wife, Maria. They eventually married, had their first son, Paul, and after another transfer and promotion, moved to Pisgah Forest, N.C., in 1971, where they had their second son, David.
Following another transfer and promotion in North Carolina, the family moved to Golconda in 1973, where Bill continued to work in Job Corps as a counselor, coach and supervisor. From Golconda the family moved to Blackwell, Wis., in 1975, where Bill worked as a teacher, still in Job Corps as part of the U.S. Forest Service, and Bill and Maria had their third son Joseph.
Bill went into semi-retirement in 1986, leaving the Job Corps. Following his semi-retirement, Bill and the family moved to Harrisburg, where he continued to work as a substitute teacher at the Illinois Youth Center, as an assistant coach for the Harrisburg High School girls track team and in the gym at Southeastern Illinois College, until his full retirement in 2004.
Bill was very active in sporting activities and political discussion, always relishing a good and vigorous conversation on either of these subjects.
He was a member of the Lincoln Alumni Association, serving as treasurer for one year. He was also a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post No. 2878 and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Bill is survived by his spouse, Maria; and their son, Paul,; son, David, his spouse, Roxanne and their daughter Zoe; and son, Joseph and his fiancee, Mindy and daughter Brooklyn and son Princeton. Bill is also survived by his daughter, Teresa, her husband, Hubert and their children, Mary, David; and his son, William Edward; his former wife, Janine; and their two children, Adam and Angela.
Bill had eight grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Bill was predeceased by his mother and father; his sisters, Lillian and Barbara Jean; and his brother, Norman.
Funeral service will held at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 15, 2008, at Reed Funeral Chapel, 503 E. Sloan St., Harrisburg, Ill. 62946, telephone 618-252-1711. Floral tributes can be sent c/o Reed Funeral Chapel. Condolences may also be sent to the family through the obituary page on the Internet site www.reedfuneralchapel.com.
Pall bearers are Ryan Rice, Ryan Hobbs, Jeff Evans, Joe Gholson, Terry Glenn and Billy Chandler.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008, and 9 to 10 a.m. Monday at Reed Funeral Chapel.
Graveside services will be from 11:30 a.m. to noon Monday at Sunset Lawn Cemetery, 1300 W. Sloan St., Harrisburg, Ill. 62946, telephone 618-252-8038, following the funeral service.
Donations may be made in Bill's name to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Leukemia Research Foundation or the Jose Carreras International Leukemia Foundation.
The family wishes to thank everyone for their condolences and help at this difficult time.