Robert William McKean

Robert William McKean was born August 13, 1946 in Buffalo, NY, and died Saturday, May 9, 2020 at his home in Yanceyville, NC.

Mr. McKean was a veteran of the US Navy Seabees, serving during Vietnam.

He participated in 4-H as a child and later became a 4-H poultry leader, also participating in the NY State Fair 4-H Poultry Project in Syracuse, NY. He had many other hobbies. He was a member of the Hamburg Kingsmen Drum Corp as a teen and young adult; participating in Color Guard as the black and white photographer for the circuit. The kids loved to see them weekly at shows and have the ability to buy them. This was all done in New York State before we moved to NC.


Once here, he became involved in Historic Sites and Civil War reenactments. He helped Glenco Textile Heritage Museum, also volunteering at Bennett Place State Historic Site in Durham, NC. He was a member of the 26th North Carolina Reactivated and participated as a civilian re-enactor doing textile dying and period woodworking.

He is survived by his wife, Suzanne Kay Johnson McKean, of 52 years, of Yanceyville, NC and Susan Eileen McKean Hall, daughter, and David Brian Hall, son-in-law, of Burlington, NC; and his brother, William McKean of Big Fork, Montana. He was preceded in death by his father, Charles William McKean and mother, Charlotte Vorholtzer McKean LaWare.

A Celebration of Life Service will be celebrated at Bennett Place when we are able. A private service will be held at 2:00 PM in the Rich and Thompson Chapel on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. Live streaming will begin at 1:15 PM. You may visit Mr. McKean’s obituary at www.richandthompson.com to view the service and make an online condolence. Burial for Mr. McKean will take place at Salisbury National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to either the Textile Heritage Museum at Glenco or to the Bennett Place Support Group, Inc., on the check state In Remembrance of Robert W. McKean.

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