John "Jack" Kean

January 1, 2019

John "Jack" E. Kean, 62, passed away on January 1, 2019. Jack was born in Gloucester County to the late Elmer "Bud" and Elizabeth "Betty" Kean and raised in Elmer, Salem County. He attended the new Elmer Elementary School and later attended St. James High School, Carneys Point. Then he attended Gloucester County Community College, majoring in Police Science, and graduated in 1975. His summer jobs were helping out at Kean’s Lake Park as soon as he could walk. Jack loved to fish and swim and tend to the park store. In the winter he figure skated with the whole family. He appeared in several shows from the Colonial Skating Club in Haddonfield. Jack was also a member of the Atlantic City Skating Club and enjoyed skating at the Convention Hall. And when the Lake froze over he skated there, too with mom, pop, and Brother Bill. He also took up snow skiing and traveled to many resorts in New England, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Jack enjoyed traveling to the Casinos in Atlantic City. He had reward cards at many of them and took advantage of the free shows and hotel rooms. He was overjoyed to see Dolly Parton. He couldn’t believe she was so short. He also loved Hawaii and Ireland. After a brief stint as a prison guard, he realized that was not for him. Jack joined the Sunoco Corporation and worked at Ocean City, NJ Turnpike, and Pitman. He enjoyed the Turnpike because he waited on several famous people. Jack is survived by his brother E. William Kean of Pittsburg, CA and several cousins. I know he wants to give a hearty goodbye for his best friends who visited him frequently in the hospitals and extended care facilities: Christopher (Dr. Chuck) Bennett, Sabino Iovino, and cousin Bob McKeen. Services will be held on Wednesday, January 9, 2018 at Adams Funeral Home, 111 S. Main Street, Elmer, NJ 08318. There will be a visitation from 10 to 11 AM followed by the funeral service at 11 AM. Interment will take place at Chestnut Grove Cemetery in Elmer. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made in memory of John Kean to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at www.stjude.org.