Mary B. (Kiss) Keen

Mary B. Keen, 82, of Tiffin, passed away on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center.

She was born on February 5, 1938, in Toledo, Ohio.  The child of two hardworking Hungarian immigrants, Mike Kiss, a factory worker and Sophia Kiss, a domestic worker.  An excellent student, Mary was recognized and recruited by Heidelberg College and offered a scholarship.

At Heidelberg, Mary met and married her husband, Tom Clifton Keen.  She discontinued her studies to start their family and support Tom while he pursued his doctorate degree at The Ohio State University.

When Mary returned to Tiffin with her family, she reentered Heidelberg to complete her B.A. degree in sociology.  She then went on to earn her Master’s Degree at Bowling Green State University.

During this period, Mary, a socially conscious and concerned mother, joined a group of other university women to reach out to the mothers and families of migrant workers.  This began with family visits to the migrant worker camps in the vicinity of Tiffin.  The women then organized a weekly clinic where migrant families could access otherwise unavailable health care.  Eventually, they established a full-time migrant health clinic in Tiffin, which, with Mary’s support and leadership as Vice President, grew into Community Health services, with clinics in several counties in Northwest Ohio.  In her position, Mary was responsible for grant writing and some administrative oversight of day to day operations.

Mary is survived by her husband Tom; children, Mike (Gabrielle Robinson) Keen, Terri (Glenn) Roddy and Bob (Cats) Keen, as well as three grandchildren, Nick, Kristin and Shawn Roddy; and three great grandchildren, Andrea, Chance and Weston Roddy. 

She is lovingly and gratefully remembered by them for her unconditional love and support as a wife and mother, as well as her considerable accomplishments as a second-generation immigrant born of working parents who went on to become a successful professional woman.

A Celebration of Life for Tom and Mary will be held on Sunday, May 15, 2022 from 1-4:00 P.M. at the AmVets Shelter, Tiffin.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Tiffin-Seneca Public Library.  As a child, Mary regularly went to her local public library for her love of reading , a joy which lasted throughout her life.

Hoffmann-Gottfried-Mack Funeral Home & Crematory is assisting the family with arrangements.

Condolences may be sent and the guestbook signed at www.hgmackfuneralhome.com.

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