Donor Stories

Keenan bequest marks a life filled with generosity and compassion

Margaret "Peggy" Keenan lived a life dedicated to making a difference in her community and within her own family. She spent her early adulthood as a teacher and social worker, helping people try to advance in their lives. Later, she worked as an administrator with A&P Supermarket for 37 years. In her personal life, Keenan, who never married, was the primary caregiver for her aging parents until their deaths.

It was through her lifelong love of the Boston Red Sox that Keenan first became aware of the Jimmy Fund, an official charity of the team, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's efforts to eradicate cancer. In her later years, she further displayed compassion through several gifts to DFCI and the Jimmy Fund to support this mission.

Upon Keenan's death in 2005, her true dedication to the Institute's mission was fully realized with a $200,000 gift from her estate. "This gift really shows what kind of person Peggy was," said Dana-Farber's Maxine Neil, who became friendly with Keenan as she extended her support for DFCI and the Jimmy Fund over the years. "She always used to say, 'You can't help but lend a helping hand to others.'"

Keenan's gift will indeed lend a helping hand to all of the Dana-Farber staff who remain focused on finding new treatments and potential cures for cancer. Of all Keenan's selfless achievements, this final act of generosity might be her most important.

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