Mrs. Josephine McKenzie Keney was promoted to Glory while at her home in Lanett on May 22nd, 2018 at the age of 81 years.

Mrs. Keney was a daughter of William Elias and Josephine Bradford McKenzie. She was born in Birmingham, Alabama on February 20th, 1937. Her childhood was spent in Birmingham and Selma, Alabama during World War II. She graduated from Albert G. Parrish High School in Selma  in 1955. Mrs. Keney graduated from Judson College in Marion, Alabama in 1959 with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She received a full academic scholarship to attend the National School for the Deaf, Gallaudet University, in Washington, DC. She received her Masters’ degree in Deaf Education from Gallaudet in 1960 and became one of the first of Alabama’s public education educators for the Deaf. Mrs. Keney taught the deaf, hard of hearing, and blind at the state schools for the Deaf and Blind in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Tennessee, and Alabama. Throughout her career she also taught in the Birmingham, Alabama, Lancaster, South Carolina, and Chambers County, Alabama public school systems. Mrs. Keney was a stay-at-home mother raising her own children up school age before returning to teaching in the public education system. She taught the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Special Education, and various grades in elementary school. She retired from the Chambers County Alabama School system in 1998 with a total of 35 years of service in public education. She married Howard David Keney on June 30th, 1962 at Craig Air Force Base, in Selma, Alabama. They were married for 56 years. She is preceded in death by her parents and her infant son, James Chadwick Keney II. Mrs. Keney is survived by her husband, Howard D. Keney; and three daughters, Katheryn Keney Follett and husband, David Follett of Birmingham, Alabama, Loretta Keney Bekhet of Valley,, Elizabeth Sue Keney of West Point, Georgia; sister, Jane McKenzie Moore of Selma, Alabama; five grandchildren, Rebekah Elise Keney, Andrea Marie Waites, Lauren Michelle Tripp, Jacob Elias Bekhet, and James Alexander Follett; four great-grandchildren, Devin Davidson, Caryana Davidson, Klhoe Tripp, and Lane Tripp. She was a member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Auburn, Alabama and was involved in several community based and national service organizations. She gladly gave of her time and talents to make a joyful difference in the lives of children and others. She will be remembered fondly by many for her lifetime of public education service.