Obituary of Patricia L. McKeen

Patricia L. McKeen, a longtime resident of Moravia, passed away on Thursday, March 31, 2016 at the age of 86. She was born to Florence and Lester Leyburn on Aug. 8, 1929 in the Village of Weedsport, where she grew up. In school, she was on the bowling team, softball team, and the basketball team. After graduation from Weedsport Central School, she spent some time working on a horse farm in Nebraska, before returning to the Finger Lakes area where she remained throughout her life. Friends and family knew her as hardworking and strong‐willed. She worked many different jobs over the years, from working for Smith‐Corona, life‐guarding and swimming instructor in New Hope and Auburn, driving school buses in Moravia, programming computers for TRW in Auburn, helping out at a local veterinarian clinic, or working her last job for the Real Property Office in Auburn, where her health finally forced her to “retire” at the age of 83. She was also a SCAT Van volunteer driver for many years. She was a self‐proclaimed chocoholic, an avid reader, animal lover (especially horses and her cats), nature lover, and loved playing board games, as some of her younger grandchildren can attest to. She loved to hunt and fish and she spent many a Sunday at the Cayuga County Sportsman’s Club, where she was on the board, shootung skeet and trap. In her later years, she took up and excelled in wood‐burning where she created many beautiful pieces of animals and nature. She is survived by her seven children, Mary, Leslie (Dennis), Robin (Ed), Shelley, Shawn, Gabrielle (Brian), and Andrew (Heather); 15 grandchildren, and 22 great‐grandchildren. Calling hours will be held at Farrell’s Funeral Service, Inc 84 South St. in Auburn, from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 9. Burial will follow immediately. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her name to the Matthew House in Auburn, N.Y., Powers Library in Moravia, N.Y., or Beaver Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville, N.Y.