If you lived in Seminary Valley in the 1960s and ’70s, you knew the McKeon family and their eight children: Charles McKeon, Jr., Sharon, Brian, Peggy, John, Pat, Keen and Marie. Last week, the Valley and Alexandria lost Mae McKeon, formerly of Strathblane Place. Marie (Zack) still lives in the original family home and it was the scene of a reunion after Mae’s service at Blessed Sacrament. The rooms were alive with reminiscences about former Valley families: the Youngs, the Kennedys, the Lavens, the Harts and the McKeons, who lived and played together when our homes were brand new. Besides raising their eight children, Mae and Charlie are most famous for founding Alive! (Alexandrians Involved Ecumenically).
The week also marked a goodbye to another one of the Valley’s long-time residents, David Greenspan of Pegram Street. David was a good friend and neighbor here on Pegram, and could often be seen lugging his tuba or his golf clubs out to his Buick. Always on the go, David was an original member of the Redskins Marching Band until 1990; as part of that organization he was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame (along with his two brothers). He also played the upright bass with the Army band and several dance bands. A veteran of the D.C. Fire Department, David was also a dedicated member of the Shriners and worked as an assistant registrar for the City of Alexandria.
Talented young people abound in Seminary Valley. Congratulations to Abby Cox, a T. C. Williams senior and power swimmer. After medaling in the Regional Meet in January, Abby is officially the 10th-fastest 200IM swimmer in the Old Dominion, after last week’s State Swim and Dive Competition in Virginia Beach. Abby is entertaining offers from several schools to swim as a college freshman. Kudos are also due to several T.C. Williams Band members who are vying for positions in the All-State Band: Jonathan Forbes, Alex Psaltis-Ivanis, Kate Aplin, Emily Dooley, Christian Contreras, Nate Conrad, Bobby Warden, Maria Jones, Khalil George, and Cameron Lyons.
Mia Jones