Phyllis McKeeman
Phyllis M. McKeeman, widow of the Reverend Dr. Gordon B. McKeeman passed away peacefully on January 7, 2017 at the age of 93. She was born on August 7, 1923 in Swampscott, MA. to Charles F. and Edith (Pedrick) Bradstreet. Phyllis was a fourth-generation Universalist and met her future husband, Gordon B. McKeeman, at the Universalist Church youth group in Lynn, MA. She and Gordon were married in Lynn on Nov. 5, 1944. He became a Universalist minister, and then a Unitarian-Universalist (UU) minister and together they served four churches in Massachusetts and Ohio. From 1983 to 1988 they lived in California as Gordon served as President of Starr King School for the Ministry.
Phyllis fulfilled a variety of church roles wherever they happened to be living. She served on the merger committee for the Universalist and Unitarian Women’s organizations and on the first Board of the Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation. She was office secretary and then coordinator of the Ohio-Meadville District of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) from 1965–1983. Part of that time she was also Chair of Region II for the UUA Annual Program Fund. Phyllis was awarded the UU Unsung Award by Ohio-Meadville District in 1976. She and Gordon were presented the UUA Award for Distinguished Service in 1993.
Although they raised three boys, Phyllis had grown up in Girl Scouting and became an active leader and trainer/consultant in the Girl Scouts and received the Thanks Badge award. She loved the outdoors and spent many years camping with the family. She also enjoyed knitting and playing cribbage.
She and Gordon retired to Charlottesville, VA in 1988 and moved to Rochester, MN in 2010. They were married for 69 years at the time of Gordon’s death in 2013.
Phyllis is survived by her three sons: Bruce, Glenn, and Randall; four grandchildren: Jennifer (Colin) Clark, Neil McKeeman, Alanna McKeeman, and Leland McKeeman; a great-grandchild, Sean Clark; and her sister-in law, Gloria King.
Memorials are suggested to the Unitarian Universalist Association; Girl Scouts of America; or the Alzheimer’s Association. Notes of condolence may be sent to Randall at his email address: rsmckeeman@hotmail.com