Jean Lynette Kean

KEAN – J. Lynnette, 60, of Port Mouton, Queens County, passed away peacefully in North Queens Nursing Home, Caledonia on Friday, June 2, 2023 with family by her side. Born in Liverpool, Lynnette was the daughter of the late Alice (Fisher) (Newell) Burgess and her stepfather Beryle Burgess (still living).
Having grown up surrounded by natural beauty, Lynnette was proud to have been raised in Port Mouton and so it came as no surprise that Port Mouton is where she chose to build her life. Lynnette met her life partner, Tom, through mutual friends when Tom’s son Benjamin was 12 years old. A young, beautiful woman filled with energy and a zest for life, it was not long before they married and built their life together. No doubt, if you were a friend or family member of Lynnette’s, you likely got to enjoy one of her and Tom’s legendary house parties over the years at their beautiful Port Mouton home. Whether hanging out in the kitchen or cannonballing into their pool, fun times were had by all. With no children of her own, Lynnette played the role of stepmom, planning camping trips with Tom and Ben to Port Mouton Island and beach days together.
Lynnette was a private person and not one to boast of her talents or accomplishments. She greatly enjoyed the arts, including photography, drama, writing and poetry. It was common, and perhaps fitting since she was a teacher, to find Lynnette with her nose in a book as she was an insatiable reader. If not reading, one could find her outside mingling with local wildlife. She had many raccoon, chipmunk and squirrel friends around her home that she enjoyed feeding, and she was somewhat of a chipmunk whisperer.
Lynnette was a teacher for over 30 years, starting at Beach Meadows Consolidated, before moving to Mill Village Consolidated, and finally retiring from John C. Wickwire in Liverpool. Throughout her career, Lynnette provided education for countless children in Queen’s County. Cards and letters from her students and their parents thanking her for taking the time to support their individual needs and to grow their confidence in their learning abilities are abundant. In her lesson plans and evaluations, it was often noted that she was always willing and interested in trying new things in the classroom. She understood that to engage her students, learning needed to be fun and interactive. Taking it one step further, Lynnette was committed to advancing teaching practices. For example, she participated in research studies such as an IWK study that explored the impacts of ADHD on learning. She also mentored the next generation of teachers during their placements as students. Lynnette was committed to lifelong learning as a teacher so that she continued to grow and adapt to the needs of her students. Lynnette truly cared about this county’s children, and she dedicated herself to setting them up for success in learning.
Lynnette is survived by her husband Tom Kean, stepson Ben Kean (Megan), grandchildren Marshall and Brianna Kean, stepfather Beryle Burgess, sisters Martha Labour and Eleanor West, nieces Natasha Wamboldt (Cory) and Nicole Labour, nephews Derrick Lloyd, Julien Kean, Nicholas Labour as well as many great nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her mother Alice (Fisher) (Newell) Burgess, sister Nancy Daury, and nephew Shawn Daury.

The family would like to thank the staff at North Queens Nursing Home as well as her sister Martha, who cared for her so well over the past couple years. Cremation has taken place under the direction of Chandlers’ Funeral Home, Liverpool. A private service will be held at a later date. The family requests no flowers. Donations may be made to North Queens Nursing Home in Caledonia, your local SPCA, or Hope for Wildlife. Online condolences may be made at www.chandlersfuneral.com.

Last Day from Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
“Why did you do all this for me?” he asked. “I don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything for you.” “You have been my friend,” replied Charlotte. “That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.”