Henry John "Jack" Keigwin

1938 - 2024

Henry John "Jack" Keigwin, born on April 9, 1938, passed away peacefully surrounded in love by his family on Sept. 24, 2024. Jack was the oldest of three children born to Mildred and Wesley Keigwin in "small town" New England. He and his brothers, Robert and Richard, were soon separated when their mother passed and spent time in church orphanage homes while quite young. A caring Aunt "Flo" was later able to reunite the family and became head of the household on her small salary, scathing shoes in a shoe factory. Education and a small-town's community of caring quickly became the support system needed to send Jack on a path to Bates College, where he was granted a full scholarship for academic and sport achievement. Upon graduation, his first job took him to New York City to work for Union Carbide, which allowed him to help support the family back home. During the Vietnam War, Jack was granted a critical skill deferment for his work at Union Carbide.
After five years of corporate life, Jack knew he wanted to strike out on his own entrepreneurial journey. The first stop on that path was earning an MBA from the Harvard Business School, made possible by his earlier marriage to the girl next door, Beverly French Keigwin. Jack met Beverly when he was 8 years old, and their love was the guiding force behind Jack's journey for 63 years of marriage. They have two cherished children, Wesley Scott of Rhode Island and Jennifer French of Charleston, S.C.
Jack went on to lead several business ventures, including building a new manufacturing plant for C&C Yachts in Kiel, Germany, where the family lived for several years. Upon the family's return to the U.S., Jack and Bev spent the next 20 years building a real estate development company, which constructed, managed and owned commercial properties in New England. Jack received numerous professional awards, including the prestigious Forbes Entrepreneur of the Year (national) in 1996. He also devoted time teaching and sharing his passion for entrepreneurism at several colleges and universities. Jack was a generous philanthropist to several educational institutions and nonprofits, the most rewarding of which were Bates College and Jacksonville University School of Nursing, where he served as a Board of Trustee for each school.
The road may not have been a straight one, but it was fulfilling and rewarding, especially coming from the humble circumstances of his youth. The most precious legacy is our wonderful family, which now includes six grandchildren, son Scott's children, Matthew, Paige and Henry, and daughter Jennifer's children, Harrison, Grace and Annabelle; daughter-in-law, Jane Miniutti; son-in-law, Jim Cookke (predeceased); and granddaughter-in-law, Erica Veazey.
Life doesn't get better than that! We all love you, Grampy!
Please join us for a celebration of life on Friday, Oct. 4, at the Oaks Community Center, Amelia Island Plantation, from 10 a.m. to noon. Guests arriving from outside the gate, please enter through the Main Security Gate and mention the Keigwin Memorial Service for a pass and directions to the Oaks.
Donations in Jack's name can be made to Jacksonville University, Keigwin School of Nursing or Davis College of Business, c/o Leslie Redd 2800 University Blvd. North, Jacksonville, FL 32211.