Harold J. "Hank" Keohane
Harold J. “Hank” Keohane, of Belmont MA, formerly of Arlington MA, passed peacefully on August 3, 2021. Hank was born on August 17, 1937, in Arlington, MA. Hank was the devoted husband of 53 years to Patricia (Hurley) and the loving father to Suzanne, Michaela, Elizabeth Stott and husband Mark, Michael and wife Erin. He was the very proud “Grampy” to Lydia and Henry (Hank) Stott, and the newly arrived Jack Cornelius Keohane. He is also survived by his brother Daniel (“the oldest living Keohane”) of Natick MA, his beloved sister Maureen of Winchester MA, and many nieces and nephews. Hank was predeceased by his father, Cornelius, and mother Anna (Hickey) Keohane, both of Cork, Ireland, and by his revered brothers Cornelius, Thomas, and Robert.
A graduate of Arlington High School, Hank went on to Worcester Academy where he made life-long friends and remained a loyal alumnus until his passing. Among his proudest accomplishments was helping establish the Rowe Family Scholarship at Worcester Academy in honor of his good friend Dee Rowe. The son of two devoted, first-generation Irish immigrants, Hank attended post-graduate school, college and law school on scholarship, opportunities that would not otherwise have been available to him, and opportunities he would work hard to pay forward throughout his life.
At Harvard College, Class of 1960 and member of Winthrop House, Hank received his A.B. majoring in history and was a proud member of Army ROTC, captained the Varsity Football team, holding the record for longest passing touchdown for six decades. Hank’s contributions to Harvard continued throughout his life, including positions as Freshman Proctor and Advisor, Assistant Freshman Football Coach, Harvard Divinity School Faculty Appointment, Board Member of Harvard Radcliffe Foundation for Women’s Athletics, Board Member of Friends of Harvard Football, Trustee of Friends of Harvard ROTC, President and Chairman of Harvard Varsity Club, and 20 years as Class Secretary. Most important to Hank were the dear friends he made throughout these years; friends who, for the next 60 years, at every home football game, would find him in Sec 30 Row II of Harvard Stadium.
Hank served as Lieutenant in the Army Infantry from 1960-1961 before earning his LL.B in 1964 at Harvard Law School. After law school, the Afro-Asia Public Service Fellowship afforded Hank what would be one of the most formative experiences of his life – serving two years as Inspector of Native Courts in Nigeria, Africa.
He returned to the states and became an Assistant District Attorney for Middlesex County, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, followed by Assistant United States Attorney for Massachusetts. In March 1968, on the day Senator Robert F. Kennedy announced his candidacy for President of the United States, Hank resigned from the U.S. Attorney’s Office to become a Lead Advanceman and Congressional District Coordinator for Senator Kennedy’s campaign. After Kennedy’s assassination, whilst riding the funeral train back to Washington D.C., Hank witnessed the grief, compassion, and patriotism from the thousands of people lining the tracks … which stayed with him forever.
Hank returned to government as Massachusetts Assistant Attorney General, followed by Chairman of the Massachusetts Public Utilities Commission under Governor Michael Dukakis, and was then appointed by President Jimmy Carter as New England Regional Director for the United States Department of Energy. He left public service in 1980 to start Keohane and DeTore Attorneys at Law, specializing in Energy, Telecommunications, and Environmental Law.
Those who knew Hank know he was a humble, unassuming man, with an aversion to touting his own accomplishments (as evidenced by the fact that his family needed to consult several sources to compile the information above). Above all else, Hank was a loyal and honest man, grateful for the fullness of his life and the love of his family. If you stood beside Hank at his happiest moments - Christmas at sister Maureen’s, Marathon Monday at brother Daniel’s, a Worcester Academy reunion, a Harvard tailgate, sunsets “dun Nahant” or at Old Silver Beach, – you might catch an elbow to the ribs followed by a quiet “how lucky are we?”
In place of a wake and funeral service, an outdoor Celebration of Life Ceremony was held on August 16, 2021, at Gore Place in Waltham, MA.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Hank’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association MA/NH Chapter at 309 Waverley Oaks Road, Waltham MA 02452 (www.alz.org/MANH) or to the Rowe Family Scholarship at Worcester Academy at 81 Providence Street Worcester MA 01604 (www.worcesteracademy.org/givenow).
The version appearing initially has been edited slightly.