Mary Grace Keen Dies

Posted March 30th 2026

Sad news to pass along with the loss of another of Avalon’s pioneers. Former Avalon Borough Council vice president Mary Grace Keen passed away on March 14, at her home in Lake Worth, Fla. Mrs. Keen was a resident of Avalon for more than four decades and served on the Borough Council from 1979-83, before relocating to Florida in 1994. Mrs. Keen also helped her husband, Dan, operate Keen’s Pharmacy, an institution here on the Seven Mile Beach for several generations. She was extensively active in civic endeavors, including serving as president of the Upper Cape Chapter of Deborah Hospital in Browns Mills, N.J. Mrs. Keen is survived by her husband of 72 years, W. Daniel Keen, her children Louise Grabowski, Julie Thyrring, William Keen, and Bonnie Cote; nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.