Obituary of Joan M. Keiran

Joan Heney Keiran, aged 75 years, passed away suddenly on March 8, 2020. Born in Brockton, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of Robert James Heney and Claire Dorothy Whelan, and sister to Janet Ann (Heney) DeCoste, The Heney family began in Brockton then made their home in Whitman when Joan was 6. They owned and ran Edward’s Market. Joan graduated from Whitman Hanson Regional High School in 1963. It was at Whitman Hanson that she met her one true love, Robert Stephen Keiran, Jr. They were married in September 1963 and built their home in East Bridgewater. Their first child, Christine, passed away within 24 hours of her birth. The young couple moved back to Whitman in 1965, and opened South Shore Seafoods Restaurant, and welcomed their son, Patrick James. In January 1967, they welcomed their third child, Kathleen Marie. Tragically, Joan’s husband Bobby was diagnosed on February 22, 1967 with a rare childhood form of leukemia and he passed away in September 1967. Joan was a fighter, and she built a new home on Ellis Avenue, kept South Shore Seafoods running with her Dad, Bob, and raised her two children in Whitman. Joan instilled in her children a love of learning and the value of an education. Both graduated from Cardinal Spellman and received their Doctorates from Logan College of Chiropractic. Joan wore several hats, doing accounting for the restaurant and working mother’s hours for attorneys in Brockton and in the Whitman Public Schools. The restaurant was sold in 1984, and Joan was free to build a new home and a new life in North Falmouth, on the land just behind the summer homes of the Heney’s and Doody’s at New Silver Beach. Joan worked at Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., and attended classes nights and weekends at Bridgewater State College. She graduated Cum Laude in 1991. Her love for education and learning continued as she transitioned from her degree in Early Childhood Education to Adult Education. She was employed by Cape Cod Community College in Hyannis, MA and completed her Master’s Degree through Cambridge College in 2000. Joan retired from the College as Chief GED Examiner. She felt strongly that it was her life’s mission to assist students of any age finish high school and continue on to higher education. She did just that. She enjoyed the beach and the sounds of the foghorn at her home, hosting Sunday dinner, her colleagues at the college, her sister, her selfish shower gang, friends and neighbors on the Cape. Joan sold her home on Cape Cod in 2017 and moved to Jay, Maine to join her son, Dr. Patrick J. Keiran and his wife Jill Coffren Keiran. Joan became grandmother to Jill’s children, Ortencia Anchan and Dr. Ella Coffren Ressler. She was then blessed to become GiGi to Aiden Flint Anchan. Patrick, Jill and Joan were looking forward to building their Lake home on Lake Anasegundacook in Canton, Maine. Dr. Patrick passed away unexpectedly on August 25, 2019 and she decided to move back home to Massachusetts to finish her days with her daughter, Kathleen and her husband James in Kingston. She passed away, also unexpectedly, yet peacefully in her sleep, shortly after celebrating her birthday. Joan is predeceased by her husband Robert Stephen Keiran, Jr., daughter Christine, son Dr. Patrick James Keiran, and her sister Janet Ann (Heney) DeCoste. She is survived by a daughter Dr. Kathleen Keiran-O’Malley and her husband, James O’Malley, her daughter-in-law Jill Coffren Keiran of Jay, Maine and her children, Ortencia and Vin Anchan and their son Aiden of Arlington Virginia, Dr. Ella Coffren Ressler and Her husband Austin of Westbrook, Maine. Joan also leaves her Godson, nephew Bryan Joseph DeCoste and his wife Monique, their children Brittany, Brandon and Madison and their granddaughter Gabriella, of Littleton, NH, a nephew Steven Joseph DeCoste and his wife Barbara and daughter Kelsey of Avon, OH and her niece Paulette (DeCoste) Kelly and her husband Chris and daughter Nicole, of Raleigh, North Carolina. Family and friends are invited to attend a Funeral Mass for Joan Heney Keiran on Saturday March 14, 2020 at 11:00 AM at Holy Ghost Parish Washington Street, Whitman, MA. Immediately following the Mass for Joan, a celebration of life will be held at the Spellman Center at Holy Ghost Parish. All other services are omitted and internment will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider purchasing a live plant and making a remembrance of her in your garden or consider making a donation to your favorite charity in Joan’s name.