By Mary Malloy
"He was a dedicated man," said East Rockaway Chief Bobby Klose, who said that his friend had not been well for years, but had always bounced back from his bad health issues. "We lost one of the good guys."
Keon married Marilyn Campbell on April 19, 1958, at St. Raymond's Church in East Rockaway. They recently renewed their wedding vows there during World Marriage Day. At the time, Marilyn joked, "The secret to a happy marriage? Let him think he's the boss!"
A Korean War veteran, Keon took over the family business as owner of the East Rockaway Progressive Care Facility on Atlantic Avenue, next to the church, until about a decade ago. He was a member of the East Rockaway Fire Department for 60 years, having joined in March of 1949. He went on to serve as captain and president of Liberty Hose, and was an active member of Floodlight. He was a member of the Fireman's Association, and chairperson of several committees. He was named Honorary Chief in 1999.
Keon enjoyed a game of golf, and was a member of the Kiwanis Club, serving at one time as the governor of its national chapter.
"He was a cheerful and intelligent person," said Fred Weiss, his friend of 54 years. "He always had a smile."
Services were held at Perry Funeral Home, Inc. in Lynbrook. A Mass was held at St. Raymond's RC Church, and a Firematic Service was also conducted. He was interred at Holy Rood Cemetery.
Besides his wife, Marilyn, Keon is survived by children Brian, Terry (Debbie), Robert, Jr., Richard, and Patrick; grandchild, Matthew, Ashley, and Jacklyn; and many other friends and relatives.
Springer, Frank
Formerly of Lynbrook
Frank Springer, a longtime Long Islander who once called Lynbrook home, died last week of prostate cancer at a Maine hospital. He was 79.
The Malverne High School graduate was an American comic book and comic strip artist best known for Marvel Comics' Dazzler and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.,
Springer was born in Jamaica, Queens, on Dec. 6, 1929 and moved to Long Island when he was 10. He attended Syracuse University, and was drafted the year he got his bachelor' degree in Fine Arts, in 1952.
Springer was past president of the National Cartoonists Society, and a founding member of the Berndt Toast Gang, the society's Long Island chapter. He won the society's Rueben Award three times.
"We were a chapter before there were chapters," said Springer on the Berndt Toast Web site. In a story that Springer said he remembers from a 1960s phone conversation with Lee Ames, he said that Ames suggested some of the local Long Island cartoonists get together once a month. It couldn't be a Wednesday, since that was "look day" for the magazine gag cartoonists, so it could maybe be a Thursday. It became tradition that the Gang meets the last Thursday of the month.
Springer is survived by his wife of 52 years, Barbara; their five children, Barbara Edwards and her husband, Richard, of Arden, N.C., William Springer of Fairfax, Va., Jennifer Dills and her husband, Chris, of Fairfax, Va., Jonathan Springer and his wife, Heidi, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Christopher Springer and his wife Selvi of White Plains, N.Y.; and seven grandchildren, Nathaniel and Sarah Edwards, Thomas, Audrey and Juliet Dills, Jhansi Springer, and Ivan Springer.
A memorial service is planned for later this spring on Long Island.
