Obituaries
George Barnett McNelis
George Barnett McNelis, a resident of Chestnut Hill for 25 years, died suddenly on August 20 at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital.
He was born in Philadelphia in 1930 to John Francis McNelis, president of North Philadelphia Trust and Company, and Mary Barnett McNelis.
He was graduated from St. Joseph’s Prep in 1947 and The Episcopal Academy in 1948. In 1952, he was graduated from Princeton University with a degree in engineering.
He was assigned to the Ordnance Guided Missile School at the Marshall Labs and received a graduate engineering degree at Huntsville, Alabama, in the Redstone Arsenal. He then served at the White Sands Proving Ground in New Mexico, working for the Guided Missile Group under Werner von Braun from 1952 to 1955.
In 1958, he received his L.L.B. from the law school of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was vice president of his class. He spent most of his professional years as s sole practitioner and also served as treasurer of the Pennsylvania Grocers Development Fund from 1978 – 2002.
Mr. McNelis did pro bono advocacy work for numerous clients and also served on many small corporate boards. According to his wife, Jean, it was his strong believe that this work empowered those otherwise unable to make their voices heard in society. He was active in the Democratic Party, and headed JFK’s campaign for the presidency in the Germantown area.
An active parishioner at Our Mother of Consolation Church, Mr. McNelis was also an active member of the Princeton Class of ’52, The Philadelphia Cricket Club, the Saint Joseph’s Prep School Rowing Support Group and the Episcopal Academy Alumni Association. He was also commander of his local chapter of Disabled American Veterans.
Mr. McNelis is survived by his wife, Jean Plante McNelis (a retired IBM sales executive and former Rosemont College director of development); his sister. Polly McNelis Myer; and his brother. John McNelis. He is also survived by nieces and nephews Julia Myer Ward, Stacia Myer Politzi, Cassandra Myer Surer, Deirdre McNelis, Michael McNelis, Angus McNelis, Hope McNelis Goudy, Kimberly Weil, Heather Weil, Stuart E. Plante III and Pamela Plante; as well as 14 grandnieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, August 30, at Our Mother of Consolation Church.
Memorial donations may be made to Princeton University or St. Joseph’s Preparatory School Boat House.
Toni Malloy Keller
Toni Malloy Keller, 57, a Philadelphia lawyer whose career spanned three decades and a variety of legal specialties, died on August 15 at her home in Lewes, Delaware, after a long illness.
Toni had been an attorney with the Philadelphia firms of Dechert LLP and Morgan Lewis, specializing initially in litigation and later in environmental law, and had held a position as in-house counsel for Cigna Corp., the insurance company. In 1992 she began working as environmental counsel to a division of ICI Americas, the chemical manufacturer. When Huntsman Corp. acquired certain of ICIs businesses, Toni joined Huntsman as a commercial attorney.
Toni graduated first in her class from Temple University Law School in 1973. There, she was named as the Barenkopf Scholar and served on the board of the Temple Law Review.
Foreshadowing her pioneering career as a woman with a family in what was then a male-dominated profession, she lobbied Temple to create an additional ladies' room in the law school. When the university agreed to transform a men's room into a ladies' room, she planted geraniums in the urinals.
Later, as a young lawyer, she was among the first to persuade the partners of her firm to allow her to work part-time so she could care for her young daughters. While at Dechert, she requested and was given the opportunity to serve on loan from the firm for the Defenders Association of Philadelphia.
Throughout her career, she moved easily from law-firm work to in-house counsel and back again. Her last job, with Huntsman, required her to travel throughout the world, drafting and overseeing contracts for her employer's many international facilities.
Toni lived much of her adult life in Chestnut Hill, owning homes on Gravers Lane, Shawnee Street, Hartwell Lane and Highland Avenue.
Active in the community, she was a hospice volunteer and a member of numerous professional associations.
Chestnut Hill merchants came to know her at Christmastime, when she and her daughters would make the rounds pulling a red wagon laden with homemade pizzelles, the Italian cookie.
She spent many summers in Lewes, initially at the Bay Avenue home of her husband's family. Later she and her husband, Bert Keller, bought their own home, on Milton Avenue, and became year-round residents.
Toni was the daughter of the late William and Annamaria Malloy, of Paoli. She was educated at the Baldwin School and at Earlham College, in Richmond, Indiana. She graduated magna cum laude from both institutions, and at Earlham was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
While at Earlham, Toni spent a semester studying in France, meeting her future husband there and beginning a lifelong love affair with all things French. She and her husband maintained many friendships in France, and a few years ago bought a small house in the Provence region, where they recently celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary.
She was an enthusiastic gardener, traveler and lover of the outdoors.
In addition to her husband, Toni is survived by her two daughters, Anne Bolno, of New York City, and Kate Lisinichia, of Chestnut Hill; by a grandson, Jacob William Bolno; and by her sister, Quaker Case, of Somerville, Mass.
A celebration of her life will be held in Chestnut Hill in the early fall.
Memorial contributions may be sent to Huntsman Cancer Foundation, 500 Huntsman Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108.
Arnold H. Keehn
Arnold H. Keehn, of Erdenheim, died suddenly of a heart attack on August 20. He and his wife, Madeleine (Madge) Mansell Keehn, recently celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary.
A native of Boston, Mr. Keehn grew up in Philadelphia and graduated from Villanova University and Rutgers University School of Law. He practiced law in King of Prussia, specializing in real estate. He also held a real estate broker’s license and specialized in finding properties for commercial owners.
He was a member of Manufacturers’ Golf & Country Club, where he was a past member of the board of directors. He was a former coach for the Flourtown-Erdenheim Little League. He was especially proud that his grandchildren, Brian and Andrew, are becoming serious golfers and the fact that they are active Little Leaguers.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Andrea M., of Erdenheim; Paul M. (Abby), of Horsham; and Walter (Gloria), of Lafayette Hill. He is also survived by his brother, Herbert (Helen) Keehn, of Jenkintown; and his sister, Lucy Schmieg, of Mt. Holly, N.J.
Friends and relatives may call at St. Genevieve’s Church, 1225 Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown, on Wednesday, August 24, beginning at 9 a.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10 a.m. Interment will be at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Epilepsy Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania, 919 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19107; or InnDwelling, 109 E. Price St., Philadelphia PA 19144.
Leonard J. Kline
Leonard J. Kline, of Chestnut Hill, died on August 9.
A native of Salem, N.J., he was a 1943 graduate of Salem High School, where he was concertmaster of his high school orchestra. He studied at Curtis Institute of Music and attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he played varsity tennis.
He managed Kline’s Furniture in Salem, where he was on the boards of the YMCA and American Red Cross. He was president of Simon Burd Lodge of B’nai Brith in 1953. In 1958, he received the Distinguished Service Award for Community Service from the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce in Salem. In 1958, he was the New Jersey State chairman for the March of Dimes.
He was an area rug buyer for the former Rittenhouse Carpet and supplied the Red Carpet for Pope John Paul II’s visit to Philadelphia. He then became part of the management team that brought Bloomingdale’s to Jenkintown. Mr. Kline retired as national sales director of Concepts International, a New York rug and carpet importer.
In Chestnut Hill, he was a board member of the Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill, the Gundacker Foundation of Rotary International, the Chestnut Hill Senior Center and the Chestnut Hill Community Association. He was a member of Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park for 30 years.
Photography, music and interior design were life-long interests.
He is survived by his wife, Elaine Huberman Kline, of Chestnut Hill; his children, Charles Stuart and Amy Judith of Wayne; and his sisters Golda and Shirley Kline of Salem, N.J.
Services were held at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel on August 11, with interment in Brookhaven Cemetery.
Memorial Contributions may be made to the Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill, c/o Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19118; or Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel, 8339 Old York Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027.
Alfred C. Carey Jr.
Alfred C. Carey Jr., 83, died on August 2.
Mr. Carey was raised in Mt. Airy, graduated from Germantown High School and worked for Eastman Kodak Co. He served in a V-Mail outfit in Europe during W.W.II.
Mr. Carey was a member of Second Baptist Church all his life; he was both a trustee and its treasurer for many years.
Mr. Carey served the Boy Scouts continually from age 12 when he joined; he later served as scoutmaster and was a long time district chairman of the training committee.
Mr. Carey was married to Betty (Anderson) for 53 years; has a son, David, and daughter, Nancy Goens; plus four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, August 28 at 3 p.m. at Second Baptist Church of Germantown, 6459 Germantown Ave.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the church or to Cradle of Liberty Council, BSA, for Maclean, 1485 Valley Forge Road, Wayne, PA 19087.
