Joseph Philip Keene

Joseph Philip Keene, age 88, of Dover, passed away Monday, September 8, 2025, in his home surrounded by his loving family.  

Born November 4, 1936, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, he was the son of the late Richard and Maria (Sanchez) Keene. Joseph graduated from Cathedral High School in Boston, and he went on to serve honorably with the United States Army. He attended Boston College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Joseph worked hard all of his life, beginning with a newspaper route as a young boy, making the rounds with his dog, Duke. In adulthood, he was employed for 60 years by the General Electric Company where he was a generator specialist. He thoroughly enjoyed his job and it often enabled him to travel for weeks at a time, sometimes with his family, to all corners of the world. His peers fondly referred to him as “Generator.” 

Joseph was a loving family man who particularly enjoyed doting on his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He had a nose for finding the best ice cream wherever he went, and you could expect to find him at either Kane’s Donuts or Kelly’s Roast Beef during any trip he was able to make back to his hometown in Boston. Joseph could always be counted on to fill a room with his laughter and infectious smile. He loved his family with all his heart and taught his children to work hard and to always show compassion to others. 

He will be dearly missed by his wife of 50 years, Jeannette (Velez) Keene; his children, Laura (Daniel Ehlers) Burnham, Matthew (Barbara), Joseph “Joe,” and Mark (Kari Sommers) Keene; his grandchildren, who affectionately called him “Papa,” Jordan (William) Blanchard, Joshua and Jack Burnham, Brett (Hannah Vanblaricum), Mark “Sammy,” Daniel and Penelope Keene; his great-grandchildren, James “Jimmy” Blanchard and Eve Bennett; his sisters, Helen Cox, Margaret Griffin, and Claire Siegel; and his many nieces and nephews. 

Besides his parents, Joseph was preceded in death by his grandson, Jacob Burnham; and his sister and brothers, Mary Lang, John, Lawrence “Larry,” Michael, and Francis “Frannie” Keene. 

Visitation will be Friday, September 12, 12 - 1 p.m., in the Toland-Herzig Funeral Home & Crematory, Dover. A graveside service will follow at 1:30 p.m., in Ridgecrest Memory Gardens. Deacon Ron Onslow will officiate.