McKeown, John

• John Clement McKeown

John Clement McKeown (1934-2022), son of Thomas and Laura McKeown, was raised in Markdale, Ontario. As a child, he received catechism lessons from the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton, Ontario in Markdale. He graduated from Grade 13, received a teaching degree one year after, and attained a bachelor’s degree over many summers. He began his teaching career in a one-room school in Glenelg, and after the small schools were closed, he began working at St. Theresa in Midland. He would board in Midland during the week and returned to Markdale on weekend to assist on the family farm and was a caretaker for his parents as they grew older. He retired from teaching in 1989 and kept many letters of appreciation from his students. That same year he married Helen Woodcock. Together they volunteered playing piano for seniors at Grey Gables and playing the organ at their church. McKeown often listened to 560 CFOS radio station and participated in their Friday Call-In’s, enjoyed the “Looking Back in History” section of the Flesherton Advance, and was fond of chocolate. He passed on Sunday, Mary 27, 2022 at the age of 88.

Markdale, Ontario
Glenelg, Ontario
Midland, Ontario

Teacher
Musician

‘John McKeown Obituary,’ Simcoe County News, April 21, 2022, https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/simcoe/name/john-mckeown-obituary?id=40053904.

‘John Clement McKeown,’ Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/262608896/john-clement-mckeown accessed Jan. 6, 2026.