Edward G. McKeon

HAMPDEN – Edward G. McKeon, 92, of Hampden, former reporter for the Bangor Daily News, and longtime Economic Director for Bangor, died on April 17, 2021 after a long illness.

Born in Portland, Nov. 17, 1929, he was seventh child of Bernard J. and Isabella A. McKeon. He graduated from Cheverus High. He served in the Korean War as an Army cryptographer, then earned a degree in Journalism from Boston University in 1955.

Ed was a reporter for the Bangor Daily News for 12 years. His reporting earned the paper the New England Sevelon Brown award.

He left reporting in 1969 to become Economic Development Director for Bangor. In his 20 years, Ed managed the conversion of Dow AFB to civilian use, creating 1500 jobs. He also established nonprofit business corporations to encourage and manage financing, marketing/sales for startups. Eventually 50 businesses employing over 2,000 people were operating in Bangor industrial parks. He was president of the Maine World Trade Council and the Maine Economic Development Council and active in development organizations throughout the state.

After retirement in 1989, Ed, along with his wife Carol, traveled and researched the lives of his parents. He wrote In the Streets Half Heard, a memoir of his parents and his brothers and sisters growing up rough in the 1930s. Historian William David Barry described it as “brawling” and “an instant Maine classic.”

Ed was married for 50 years to Carol M.(Huntley) McKeon, who passed away in 2013. He is survived by his three children, Lynn C. Winsor and her husband Gary Winsor of Huntington, Mass., Matthew E. McKeon and his wife Krista I. McLeod of Methuen, Mass. and Thomas J. McKeon and his wife Dr. Natalie Maida of Brunswick; as well as four grandchildren, Ross Winsor, Madeleine McKeon and Henry and Huntley McKeon.

Private Memorial Service will be held. To leave a note of condolence or share a memory, please visit http://www.brackettfh.com.

In lieu of flowers,

please donate to the:

South Portland

Food Cupboard

130 Thadeus St.

South Portland, ME 04106