E. Arthur Keen, Jr.

E. Arthur Keen, Jr., 81, of Coatesville, passed away on Sunday, February 7, 2010 at the Life Care Hospital of West Chester. He was the beloved husband of Nancy Karinch Keen.

Born on November 7, 1928 in Parkesburg, he was the son of the late Mary Fehl Keen and E. Arthur Keen, SR. An area resident his entire life, he attended Parkesburg Elementary School and Parkesburg High School, where he was the snare drummer in the Parkesburg Band. Art was a Air Raid Bicycle Messenger during WWII. He was a 1947 graduate of the Valley Forge Military Academy and graduated from the Penn State University with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics.

After graduating from Penn State, Art went to work with his father in the family business of EH Keen & Son, Inc. in Parkesburg, where he eventually rose to President of the Corporation. He expanded the business to a second location in Atglen, as well as adding a home and garden store and a building truss factory.

He was a member of the Skerrett Lodge #343 F. & A.M. of Cochranville, a 15 year member and Past President of the Parkesburg Lions Club, member of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Feed Dealers Assoc., member of the Vo-Tech School Advisory Committee, and the Chester County Chamber of Commerce. He served on Parkesburg Borough Council, was the Regional Director of Meridian Bank, the Director for Farmers Bank of Parkesburg and through bank mergers including Meridian Bank, served as a Trustee of the Parkesburg United Presbyterian Church; was a director of Christiana Water Co., director of the Coatesville Building and Loan Society and he received a special award from the American Red Cross for being regular blood donor.

He is survived, in addition to his wife, by two children: Robert M. Keen, husband of Joa, of Honey Brook and Jill Bickert, wife of Kevin, of Palm Springs, Ca.; stepson, David M. Wolfe, husband Donna, of Bermuda; two grandchildren, Megan and James Keen, and one step-grandson, Connor Wolfe. He was predeceased by his sister, Dorothy Jean Keen.

The Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, February 13, 2010 at 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 511 Main St., Parkesburg, PA. Family and friends are invited to attend the visitation, which will be held at the Church from 10 until 10:45 a.m., at which time the Masonic Service will be held.

Donations may be made in Art's memory to the Blind Assoc., 71 S. 1st Ave., Coatesville, PA 19320.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Wilde Funeral Home of Parkesburg. Online condolences can be posted at www.wildefuneralhome.com