A somber anniversary for Judy Keane: Events of 25 years ago launched a charitable foundation
- Mark Jahne
- Aug 1
- 6 min read
by Mark Jahne
Editor
Courtesy photos
It has been 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., killed nearly 3,000 people and changed so many lives forever.
Two commercial airplanes hijacked by suicidal terrorists slammed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, causing them to catch fire and then tumble to the ground. Another hijacked airplane crashed into the Pentagon.
A fourth hijacked aircraft was believed to be headed for the White House before the passengers, who knew via cell phone calls what was taking place, fought back. It crashed in a remote field in Pennsylvania.
Judy Keane’s life changed forever that fateful day. Her husband Richard, who usually worked in a branch office in Hartford, was in New York for a meeting at Marsh McLennan, his employer. It was at the World Trade Center.
He perished in the attack. She thought back to that day and how quickly and dramatically it changed her life.
“I was working in Waterbury” as a skilled nursing facility consultant. “I had no idea it had anything to do with me,” she said.
But she had a bad feeling because she knew Richard was in the city. When she received a phone message asking her to call the Hartford office of Marsh McLennan right away, she suspected the worst. They told her he was on the 99th floor of one of the towers when the planes hit the building.
Keane served for a time as a docent at the Tribute Center that was built to honor those who were killed. Her tours always ended with her pointing to her husband’s name on the list of the fallen.
Two women who visited the center told her that their mother was in the same office as Richard. She doesn’t serve as a docent anymore because problems with knees that sometimes make walking difficult.
As she worked to process the shock of losing her husband in such a tragic way Judy decided to do something positive in his memory and, with the help of others, created the Richard M. Keane Foundation.
“I had an incredible support system of family and friends” who helped her get through those early days of intense trauma, sorrow and loss. “It was the outpouring of support from the community that made this happen.”
For the past 25 years the foundation has raised money to provide ways to improve and enrich the lives of young people in Wethersfield. The 9/11 Memorial Sports Center at the Pitkin Community Center is just one example of its work.
“When bad things happen, good things can come out of it,” she said.
At first, the foundation partnered with town government on the sports center. She recalled that the old gym needed major renovations.
“Things don’t happen overnight,” she added.
The sports center officially opened in 2008.
Other activities include the annual fun run and Cove-Side Carnival. The Keane Foundation partners with UNICO for a fund-raising golf tournament.
People and businesses continue to give money and she is grateful for that. Keane serves as the president of the foundation but, as she grows older, she is looking to scale back her efforts and rely more on others to continue the commitment.
“We got a flurry of donations” after a recent presentation to the Board of Education, she said.
Another major foundation initiative is after-school programming. Money is needed to keep that running. They have been using federal funds funneled through state government.
“Our ARPA grant from the state expires in December,” she said. “We’ve had wonderful school musicals” as well. “This year and last year we spared no expense to bring these programs along. It’s amazing.”
Keane is hopeful that the foundation will receive another grant. She pointed out that shortly after the attacks more than 750 charitable foundations were founded across the country but most of these have fizzled out over time.
“There are only about 35 now that are active. There is a 9/11 fatigue for a lot of programming,” she said.
She profusely thanks the people of this town for their ongoing support and regards a special candlelight ceremony scheduled for this Sept. 11 as a bookend to the whole post-attack experience.
“We need that final closure.”
Keane added that while 2,947 people died the day of the attack the number of deaths related to this event keeps climbing. An estimated 3,000 more have died since then from illness caused by inhaling the toxic dust and other dangerous materials shaken loose when the twin towers collapsed.
“There was this smell. I can’t describe it,” she said.
It lingered at the site until all the debris was removed.
Keane was among the first members of the public to be invited to visit the John F. Kennedy International Airport hangar where all the 9/11 debris was stored. The plan was to donate some of these artifacts for use as memorials.
“Twenty-two of us went to Hangar 17. When we walked in it was so overwhelming. There were steel girders everywhere, mangled and twisted. We were the first nonprofit in the United States to get a piece of steel,” she said.
The foundation was given two pieces of this steel. One of them stands outside the entrance to the 9/11 Memorial Sports Center and the other hangs on an internal wall. The names of every victim, all 2,947 of them, are listed on the wall.
“It’s still used all day, every day,” Keane said of the sports center. “Parks and Recreation has been incredible” handling reservations and the monetary end of foundation activities at the center.
“I’s been rewarding for me. I have an amazing board of directors,” she added. “The future looks great for our after-school programs.”
Keane grew up in town and has lived here for a total of 50 years. She is confident that her husband is looking down from above with a wide smile.
“I think he would be pleased with what we have done.”
She said it took a great deal of determination but the foundation has been successful because it’s all about community.
Special event scheduled
The Richard M. Keane Foundation is planning a 25th anniversary commemoration of the candlelight ceremony that took place on the Broad Street Green in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
The tragedy claimed the lives of thousands of victims including Wethersfield residents Richard Keane, Jeffrey Bittner and David Winton, as well as Fred Kuo Jr., the father of Keane Foundation board member Fred Kuo III.
This free event on the Broad Street Green will take place at 6 p.m. Sept. 11 and will feature presentations by dignitaries, community singers and town officials. The winner of the Sept. 11 Writing Contest, co-sponsored by the Wethersfield Library and the foundation for Wethersfield students in grades 4-6, will read the winning essay.
More than 5,000 people attended the original impromptu vigil on the green 25 years ago and held candles to commemorate the victims. In lieu of actual candles, attendees at this year’s event will be asked for safety reasons to display a representation of a candle-flame from an app on their phones.
The large sheets signed by thousands in attendance at the original vigil will once again be on display and a new canvas will be available that people can sign and on which they can write comments.
“I’d like to have families come with their kids,” Judy Keane said. WL