Delbert "Del" Charles McCune

Delbert C. McCune, 91, of Keene, formerly of Ithaca, NY, died Saturday, November 1, 2025, at Covenant Living Keene with the love of his family around him, after a period of declining health. He was born in Los Angeles, CA, on August 21, 1934, the son of Charles Alfred and Charlotte Cecilia (Hendrickson) McCune. He attended area schools, including John Marshall High School, then earned a Bachelor of Science degree from California Institute of Technology, continuing his studies at Yale to earn his PhD in plant physiology.

He began working for Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research in 1960, where he was a Research Scientist, doing research on the dry deposition of acid rain, among other research projects in their Environmental Research Division. He worked full time for Boyce Thompson for 36 years, and even after his retirement in 1996, he continued working as a consultant.

On June 27, 1964, he married Anne Robertson, of Keene, in a ceremony at The United Church of Christ in Keene. Together, they built a family in Tarrytown, NY, that included four children. They moved to Ithaca, NY in 1978 when Boyce Thompson Institute became affiliated with Cornell University. In 1998, after Del’s retirement, Del and Anne were beckoned back to Keene, where they have lived ever since.

Del was involved with the Boy Scouts of America from his early youth through his retirement years, evolving from a scout to a troop leader to a trainer of troop leaders. Del had been a member of the United Church of Christ, contributing to the morning study group and the men’s Saturday group, and had been a committed member of their Radio Ministry. Del was innately curious and was a consistent student in the CALL program at Keene State College throughout his retirement.

Family was everything to Del: his wife, son, and daughters, as well as their families, were of utmost importance to him. A close second would be the stewardship of the land around him. He was an avid protector of the environment and the lands entrusted to him. They were his garden that he looked after, maintained, and helped flourish. Whether the yard at the family home or the woods around the family cottage at Nubanusit Lake, he could be found diligently studying, manicuring, and maintaining so that it would not only survive, but thrive.

He is survived by his wife, the love of his life and partner for the last 61 years, Anne R. McCune, of Keene; his children: Catherine McCune of Northampton, MA, Christine McCune-Zierath and her husband Paul of St. Paul, MN, Timothy McCune and his wife Uma Iyer of Great Neck, NY, and Carolyn McCune also of St. Paul, MN; his grandchildren: Douglas McCune-Zierath and Joseph McCune-Zierath, Ilya McCune-Pedit and Lysander McCune-Pedit, Suraj McCune and Kamni McCune. He was predeceased by his sister, Mary Andrea McCune Johnston, and a brother-in-law, Kenneth Robertson.

A Memorial Service will be scheduled for a later date, at The United Church of Christ, 23 Central Square, Keene, NH. There are no public calling hours. Burial will also be held at a later date, in the family cemetery in Chesterfield.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Delbert C. McCune’s name to The United Church of Christ, c/o Radio Ministry ( www.ucckeene.org/give ), 23 Central Square, Keene, NH 03431, or to the Community Kitchen, Inc. ( https://thecommunitykitchen.org ), 37 Mechanic St., P.O. Box 1315, Keene, NH 03431.