Deborah Kean
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Deborah Elizabeth "Debby" Kean (May 15, 1943 – April 24, 2020) was an American children's advocate. She served as the First Lady of
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
from 1982 to 1990 during the tenure of her husband, former
Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Thomas Kean Thomas Howard Kean ( ; born April 21, 1935) is an American politician, statesman, and academic administrator from the state of New Jersey. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, Kean served two terms as the 48th governor of New Jersey f ...
. Kean notably oversaw the conversion of Drumthwacket, a historic mansion in
Princeton, New Jersey The Municipality of Princeton is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey, Borough of Princeton and Pri ...
, into the
official residence An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either their own or that of th ...
of the
governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...
beginning in 1982. The first lady also established the Drumthwacket Foundation, a
non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
responsible for the restoration and upkeep of Drumthwacket and its grounds.


Biography

Kean was born Deborah Elizabeth Bye on May 15, 1943, in
Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...
. She was the only child of Robert Bye, a
corporate executive Corporate titles or business titles are given to corporate officers to show what duties and responsibilities they have in the organization. Such titles are used by publicly and privately held for-profit corporations, cooperatives, non-profit org ...
, and Elizabeth (
née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Griffenberg) Bye. Kean attended
Tower Hill School Tower Hill School is a private college preparatory school in Wilmington, Delaware, offering instruction for pre-school through 12th grade. History Tower Hill was founded in 1919. Its main building was designed by Wilmington architects Brow ...
, a
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college preparatory school A college-preparatory school (often shortened to prep school, preparatory school, college prep school or college prep academy) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily design ...
in Wilmington. She graduated from
Bennett College Bennett College is a private university, private historically black colleges and universities, historically black liberal arts college, liberal arts Women's colleges in the Southern United States, college for women in Greensboro, North Carolin ...
, a now defunct
women's college Women's colleges in higher education are undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations are composed exclusively or almost exclusively of women. Some women's colleges admit male st ...
located in
Millbrook, New York Millbrook is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in Dutchess County, New York, United States. Millbrook is located in the Hudson Valley, on the east side of the Hudson River, north of New York City. Millbrook is near the cent ...
. Bye met her future husband, a businessman named
Thomas Kean Thomas Howard Kean ( ; born April 21, 1935) is an American politician, statesman, and academic administrator from the state of New Jersey. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, Kean served two terms as the 48th governor of New Jersey f ...
, at a party in
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,
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, and began dating in October 1966. Bye and Kean married on June 3, 1967, in a ceremony at the Old Drawyers Church in
Odessa, Delaware Odessa is a town in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 364 at the 2010 census. Founded as Cantwell's Bridge in the 18th century, the name was changed in the 19th century, after the Ukrainian port city of the same name ...
. They had three children: Thomas Jr., Reed, and Alexanda. The family moved to
Livingston, New Jersey Livingston is a township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 31,330, its highest United States census, decennial co ...
, in 1967 during her husband's first campaign for the
New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...
. Debby Kean served as First Lady of
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
from 1982 to 1990 during Governor Tom Kean's tenure in office. She chose to remain outside of active state politics, choosing instead to focus on children's issues, the arts, and
historic preservation Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK) is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philos ...
. In 1985, Kean took part in an interview and profile for the ''
Trenton Times ''The Times'', also known as ''The Times of Trenton'' and ''The Trenton Times'', is a daily newspaper owned by Advance Publications that serves Trenton and the Mercer County, New Jersey area, with a strong focus on the government of New Jersey ...
'', provided that she not be asked about political issues. However, she held benefits specifically for Republican female candidates.
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
did not have an official Governors' residence when Governor Kean took office in 1982. The state's previous governors' mansion, Morven, had been donated to the
New Jersey Historical Society The New Jersey Historical Society is a historical society and museum located in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States. The Historical Society is housed in the former headquarters of the Essex Club. It has two floors of exhibition spac ...
as its new headquarters. The nearby Drumthwacket mansion in
Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...
had been sold to the state of New Jersey in 1966, under the agreement that it eventually replace Morven as the governors' mansion. Shortly after Governor Kean took office, First Lady Debby Kean began overseeing the conversion of Drumthwacket into the New Jersey's new official residence. In 1982, the first lady established the Drumthwacket Foundation, a non-profit responsible for the upkeep of the mansion and its grounds. She solicited the funds needed to complete the repairs and renovations on the mansion. At the time, Drumthwacket was furnished with existing furniture that had been donated, much of which was older or unsuited for the home's new ceremonial role. Debby Kean replaced those furnishings with high quality, antique furniture and decor needed for the formal residence. Kean also focused on children's and parenting issues during her tenure. She realized that many New Jersey state employees were struggling to obtain child care while they were working. She sought to establish new daycare facilities for the children of state, public employees and actively lobbied lawmakers for the funding. Several new childcare centers were opened across the state. She remains the
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for the state's largest
daycare center Child care, also known as day care, is the care and supervision of one or more children, typically ranging from three months to 18 years old. Although most parents spend a significant amount of time caring for their child(ren), childcare typica ...
, the Deborah B. Kean Childcare Center in Trenton, which still operates, as of 2020. Additionally, the first lady served as the honorary chairperson of Governor Kean's commission on
developmental disabilities Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
. Kean also sponsored New Jersey's performing and
visual arts The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics (art), ceramics, photography, video, image, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual a ...
programs. Debby Kean died at her home in
Bedminster, New Jersey Bedminster is a Township (New Jersey), township in Somerset County, New Jersey, Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 8,272, an increase of 107 (+1.3%) from the 201 ...
, on April 24, 2020, at the age of 76. She was survived by her husband of 52 years, former Governor Thomas Kean, their three children, and seven grandchildren.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kean, Deborah 1943 births 2020 deaths First ladies and gentlemen of New Jersey Kean family People from Bedminster, New Jersey People from Livingston, New Jersey Activists from Wilmington, Delaware