JOHN WINTHROP MCKEAN

1948 - 2019

McKEAN, John Winthrop Of Pinehurst, North Carolina died August 12, 2019, of heart failure. John was the oldest of four boys born to Q.A. Shaw McKean and Katharine Winthrop McKean, on August 7, 1948. During his childhood, John resided at Sandy Woods Farm, Pinehurst, North Carolina and Savin Hill Farm in South Hamilton, Massachusetts.

John attended the Pinehurst Elementary School through the 7th grade. This was a small, rural, segregated school where during the mid to late 1950's there was little racial integration. He then attended boarding school at The Fay School (1960-1963) and followed by St. Mark's School (1963-1967), also in Southborough, MA. While at St. Mark's, John was the Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper and developed an outspoken voice for social justice. He attended Harvard College, Class of 1971, where he graduated cum laude and was a member of The Fly Club.

John was proudly a lifelong Democrat. While at Harvard, John worked with a group of social activists who co-founded the Robert F. Kennedy Children's Action Core, a leader in child welfare and juvenile justice in Massachusetts. These activists include Phil Johnston, Jean Villa, Wendy Minot, and many others who became lifelong friends.

Following graduation, John joined the George McGovern presidential campaign and served as Massachusetts State Director in both the primary and general elections. Massachusetts was the only state George McGovern won in the general election and Senator McGovern and John maintained a lifelong friendship. After the campaign, John attended Suffolk University Law School and, won election as County Commission for Essex County. Upon hearing that Congressman Michael Harrington intended to retire from office, John ran unsuccessfully in the primary for Congress in 1978, but two years later was re-elected as Essex County Commissioner and served a second term. He was then appointed to the Massachusetts Parole Board by Governor Michael Dukakis where he served four years with distinction.

In the mid-1980's, John returned to Pinehurst to help manage the family farm and assist his mother who had developed Alzheimer's. John then transferred his energy to the local community. He raised money for Sandhills Children's Center, Habitat for Humanity, the local library, and the Community College, as well as local Democratic candidates. John was a longtime Board member of the Boys and Girls Club of the Sandhills and was a member of the Sandhills Community College Foundation Board for nearly a quarter of a century where he served as the Board's Chair from 2006 until 2009. McKean Hall, the Campus Service Center, bears his name. His management of the farm won him the 2015 Wildlife Conservation Award, North Carolina Chapter.

John loved to travel and had visited over 70 countries. He was an avid golfer and played many of the world's great golf courses in the U.S. and Europe. He was a member of Myopia Hunt Club for 42 years and President of the Club from 1994-1999. He was a diehard Red Sox fan with season tickets for over 45 years. He read extensively with a particular interest in biographies, history and politics. He is survived by his brothers: Thomas of Concord, MA, Robert of South Hamilton, MA, and David of Washington, D.C.; sisters-in-law, Sylvia, Sandra, and Kathleen; and nine nieces and nephews and a grandniece. His parents and half-brothers, Shaw and Harry McKean, and half-sisters, Jenny McKean Moore and Margaret McKean Vernon, predeceased him.

A Celebration of his Life will be held at a future date.