Keith MacBain died at his home in Southampton, MA, on Sept. 13, 2020, due to complications from Parkinson’s Disease. Keith was born in Englewood, NJ, and lived on a small farm in Closter, NJ, where his father ran a kennel. He later attended Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, and graduated in 1956. He received a bachelor’s degree in English from Cornell University in 1960 and a master’s degree from Columbia Teachers College in 1964. He married Cynthia Loring in August of 1960, and they moved to Homewood, IL, to teach for two years.
After moving back to Connecticut, Keith taught English at New Canaan High School from 1963 through 1996, and was chairman of the English Department for 10 years. Keith also coached football, basketball and was most remembered for his time as head baseball coach for the New Canaan Rams. He was inducted into the NCHS Hall of Fame in 2008.
At retirement, the MacBains moved to the Finger Lakes in New York, where they were trained in the Master Gardeners’ Program. Keith volunteered at the Rosamund Gifford Zoo in Syracuse and the Baltimore Woods Nature Center in Marcellus, as well as answering the phone for the “Hot Line” of the Master Gardeners’ office in Auburn.
Keith leaves behind his wife Cynthia, his son Bruce MacBain of Auburn, his daughter Catherine MacBain of Florence, MA, and five grandchildren. A memorial service will be planned for next spring, when the family hopes that there will be a vaccine for COVID-19, and attending a service will not be a health risk for family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, people are invited to donate to Parkinson’s Research at apdaparkinson.org.
