Wallace Keene

1922 - 2021

Wallace Keene obituary, 1922-2021, Kansas City, MO

Wallace Keene Obituary

Wallace Richard Keene

26 August 1922 - 16 March 2021

A true gentleman, Wallace Richard Keene, 98, peacefully passed away on March 16, 2021.

In 1922, Dick was born to Helen (Okeson) and Harry (Dick) Keene in Iola, Kansas. He grew up in Lawrence and enrolled at KU in 1940, where he played freshman basketball with such legends as Charlie Black and Ray Evans. He joined the US Army Air Corps during World War II and, after graduating from UCLA with a degree in physics/meteorology, he served as a Weather Officer in Oklahoma and North Africa. After the war, he returned to KU where he graduated in 1948 with a degree in accounting from the School of Business.

Dick started his professional life as a CPA for Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co (now KPMG), where he worked for seven years. In 1955, he joined the newly arrived Kansas City Athletics for two years as ticket manager and then as Controller. From there, Dick joined IBM in 1957, where his first assignment was on their first commercial core-based computer, the 705. He worked for IBM in marketing and financial management at their headquarters in New York, as the Midwest Regional Controller in Chicago, and at the Federal Systems Division in Washington, D.C.

In 1969, he joined friends Clark Murray and Bud Coulson in the ownership of Inland Newspaper Machinery Corp., from which he retired in 1986. He was a CPA, a CFP, and, most recently, a FINRA arbitrator. He was President of the Lakemary Endowment Association and City Treasurer of Mission Hills. He was a member of St. Andrews Episcopal Church and later attended services at the Second Presbyterian Church. He was a Sigma Chi and a member of Mission Hills Country Club.

After his retirement, he and his wife traveled to western Europe more than a dozen times, and enjoyed touring around the US and Canada and visiting family in California and Colorado. He was a lifetime card player and, in his words, he "practiced diligently to become a mediocre tennis player and golfer." He golfed and rode his bike until shortly before his passing and he played winning Rummikub, literally, until his dying day. He was a lucky man and he knew it. He had a true penchant for instantly connecting with people, no matter their age or place in life. He enjoyed a lifetime of health and athletic vigor, a curious and quick-witted mind, and friends and family for whom he was a beloved mentor, playmate, supporter and inspiration. He was cheerful, modest, generous and kind. He was, quite simply, a good man.

Mr. Keene was married for 22 years to Carol Stuart until her death in 1969. In 1972, he was married to Janet Card Broaddus, until her passing in July 2019. He was also predeceased by his parents, brother Kenneth Keene, his son Stuart in 2010, and step-sons James G. Broaddus in 2015, and Thomas A. Broaddus in 2020. He is survived by his daughter Barbara Christopher (Rocky); step-son Philip Broaddus; Mrs. James Broaddus (Deborah); Mrs. Thomas Broaddus (Beverly); plus grandchildren Anna, Alison, and Stefan, Claire-Maria and Max, Andrew and Jackson, James Richard and Julian; and great-grandsons Remi, Enzo, Carson and Emerson.

A memorial service will be planned for this summer, and information can be found at Mt. Moriah's website. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Rose Brooks Center for Domestic Violence, P.O. Box 320599, K.C. MO 64132 (rosebrooks.org), or to the charity of one's choice. Condolences and memories may be shared at mtmoriah.net.

Published by Lawrence Journal-World on Mar. 28, 2021.
34465541-95D0-45B0-BEEB-B9E0361A315A

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Memories and Condolences
for Wallace Keene

Not sure what to say?





0 Entries

Be the first to post a memory or condolences.

Make a Donation
in Wallace Keene's name

Please consider a donation as requested by the family.

Memorial Events
for Wallace Keene

To offer your sympathy during this difficult time, you can now have memorial trees planted in a National Forest in memory of your loved one.

Funeral services provided by:

Mt. Moriah, Newcomer and Freeman Funeral Home | Mount Moriah Cemetery Sout

10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO 64131

How to support Wallace's loved ones
Commemorate a cherished Veteran with a special tribute of Taps at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.

Read more
Attending a Funeral: What to Know

You have funeral questions, we have answers.

Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?

What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?

Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?

We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.

Read more
Resources to help you cope with loss
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Estate Settlement Guide

If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.

Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast

Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.

Read more
The Five Stages of Grief

They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.

Read more
Ways to honor Wallace Keene's life and legacy
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Obituary Templates

These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.

Read more
Obituary Examples

You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.

Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?

Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.

Read more