Helen J. Keegan

Helen Jean (Wright) Keegan, 76, of Great Falls passed away on Friday, January 2, 2015 from respiratory failure at Benefis Healthcare. A private memorial will be held by the family in the spring. Helen was born August 31, 1938 in San Jose, CA to Grant and Dee Wright. She graduated from high school in McCloud, CA and moved to San Francisco after graduation where she attended community college. She married Michael J. Keegan, whom she knew in high school, on July 25, 1959. Mike and Helen lived in many different places, including Hawaii with Mike’s military career of 20 years. They have three children, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Helen worked at Montgomery Ward for several years and then took a job at Roosevelt Elementary. She made many treasured friends at her jobs and especially loved working with the children at Roosevelt. She had many hobbies including sewing and making gifts for family and friends. It is difficult to convey just how much she loved her family; she always put others before herself. Helen was an amazing wife, mother, and gramma. Helen is survived by her husband, Michael Keegan of Great Falls; daughter Kelly (Kurt) Bean-Anderson; sons Kevin (Penny) Keegan and John (Meliss) Keegan all of Arnegard, ND; grandchildren Kyle and Shelby Bean, Isabel, Stella, and Allison Keegan, Charlee, Shelbee and JT Whitaker, Cy Crighton, Kate and Devin Anderson; great-grandchildren Talmage Coplin, Ryder and Robbie Crighton; sister Mary Wright Jones (Tom Brown); brother Merlin (Sally) Wright; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her loving parents, aunts, and uncles. Helen was immensely grateful to Shriner’s Children Hospital for their generosity to her family when she had open heart surgery at Stanford University at the age of 17. The family prefers that any memorial donations be made to the Shriner’s.