Clare (Cochrane) McKeon
Passed on: April 19th, 2013
Clare McKeon passed away on Friday, April 19, 2013 in Burlington, Ont., after a short stand-off with cancer, which she faced calmly and with dignity.
She is survived by her husband, Joseph P. McKeon and daughter, Maureen of Burlington; son, Timothy and his wife Melissa of Barrie. Predeceased by her father, Joseph Cochrane, she is survived by her mother, Elizabeth Ann Cochrane; brother, Reverend Joseph M. Cochrane of Saint John; brother, Edmund Cochrane and his wife, Eileen; niece, Eileen Elizabeth and nephews, Joseph and Douglas Arthur of Deep River and by scores of illustrious Cochrane and Kennedy cousins strewn about Cape Breton and Nova Scotia.
She was born and schooled in Cape Breton. Consistently at the head of her class, she entered university on scholarship at age sixteen. She moved to Ontario and earned a Master's Degree in English Literature. She taught high school English for a short time, then entered the Toronto book publishing industry as an editor, where she made her career. She worked for several prominent Canadian publishers, her last in-house position being Vice President, Editor-in-Chief of Key Porter Books, in the days when both Clare and Key Porter were robust. She spent her most recent years writing, editing, dancing, rueing her mistakes, relishing her successes, talking to the people she loved, and listening to the music of Leonard Cohen.
According to her wishes, no visitation, funeral, or memorial will be held.
Special thanks are due to Hansine and David; Pookie; Tom; Sandra and the dinner club ladies, for their help, love and support.
The family suggest that, in place of offerings, you buy a great Canadian book and give it to a friend.
Fr. Ray Huntley presided at the interment of Clare's ashes, along with those of her husband, Joe, who died of a massive heart attack a few short days after her demise. Burial was in the family plot at St. Mary's Cemetery, Port Morien, Cape Breton.
"Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in."
