Phyllis Mckeeman

Phyllis M. (Bradstreet) McKeeman Phyllis 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. She graduated from Lynn English High School in 1941 and worked as a secretary for two attorneys in Lynn, MA. She met her future husband, Gordon B. McKeeman, at the Universalist Church youth group in Lynn. Phyllis was a fourth-generation Universalist and her mother was her model for active involvement in the church. She married Gordon in Lynn, MA on Nov. 5, 1944. He was a Universalist minister, and then a Unitarian-Universalist (UU) minister and they served four churches in Massachusetts and Ohio. Phyllis fulfilled a variety of church roles wherever they happened to be livingin Massachusetts and Ohio, and later in California and Virginia. Although they raised three boys, she had grown up in Girl Scouting and became an active leader and trainer/consultant in the Girl Scouts and received the Thanks Badge award. Phyllis served on the merger committee for the Universalist and Unitarian Womens organizations and on the first Board of the Unitarian-Universalist Womens Federation. She was office secretary and then coordinator of the Ohio-Meadville District of the Unitarian-Universalist Association (UUA) from 19651983. 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 awarded the UUA Award for Distinguished Service in 1993. 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 Gordons death in 2013. Phyllis is survived by her three sons: Bruce (Georjean) of Prescott, AZ, Glenn (Carol) of Cuyahoga Falls, OH, and Randall (Anita DeAngelis) of Rochester, MN; grandchildren: Jennifer (Colin) Clark of Lincoln NE, Neil McKeeman of Austin, TX, Alanna McKeeman (Kevin Sigwart) of Washington, DC, Leland McKeeman, of Valemont, British Columbia, Canada; great-grandson Sean Clark of Lincoln, NE and sister-in-law Gloria (Ray) King of Saugus, MA. Phyllis was preceded in death by her husband, Gordon, and her parents. Phyllis family is very grateful for the loving care provided to her by the staff of Madonna Towers and the assistance of St. Croix Hospice of Rochester, MN. Memorials are suggested to the Unitarian-Universalist Association; Girl Scouts of America; or the Alzheimers Association. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 23, 2017 at First Unitarian Universalist Church 1727 Walden Lane SW Rochester. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service from 2:00 to 3:00 pm at the church. Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes 5421 Royal Place NW Rochester, MN 55901