Obituary of Hugh Everett McKean

Hugh Everett McKean passed away on May 7^th at the Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, NJ. He was 90 years young.

Hugh was born on October 26, 1931 in McKean Valley in the newly constructed farmhouse built by his father, Harvey, just a year earlier in 1930 on the bank of the Shohola Creek.

He was the second of six children born to Harvey Allen McKean and Pricilla Schields. Their children were raised with a respect for their family homestead. They were Marie, Hugh, Harvey, Clara, Frances and Genevieve.

Hugh became an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed to hunt, fish and trap. He enjoyed walking the local mountains in search of that giant whitetail buck. He loved fishing in the Shohola Brook or anywhere that he could get a big rainbow trout on the end of his line. He was a successful trapper and would awake hours before going to school to jump into the woods to set his traps for beaver and fox.

Hugh was educated at the Shohola School House and then attended Milford High School. Upon graduation, Hugh started a poultry business in the McKean Valley. He raised thousands of chickens every year and would sell them to wholesalers in New York for distribution.

Nicholas Lawrick, Hugh’s future father-in-law, would travel from New Jersey to hunt with Hugh’s father, Harvey. Nick would also bring along his son Nick Jr. (Zeke) and Hugh and Zeke became good friends. Zeke then introduced Hugh to his sister, Lorraine. Hugh and Lorraine were married in 1954 and had two children together, Hugh, born in 1956 and Mark, born in 1959.

Hugh served in the Army in 1954, during the Korean War. He became a corporal and a tank commander and was stationed in both Fort Knox, KY and Fort Hood, TX.

When he returned home from the Army, he made a major change in his life. His poultry business had been destroyed by a flood in 1955. Nicholas had a construction company in NJ and he offered Hugh a job. Hugh and Lorraine moved to East Paterson, NJ where he became a mason and carpenter. Hugh went on to start his own successful construction company, McKean Construction.

In 1960, Hugh and Lorraine built a new home in Fairfield, NJ and where they raised their two sons. In 1980, Hugh left the construction business to became the service manager at Midland Service in Long Island City, NY, where he kept the largest fleet of cabs in New York running every day until he retired at the age of 87.

McKean Valley was always Hugh’s favorite place to spend his time. He loved working on improving the property there and also constructed a new home on the bank of the Shohola Brook, as his father did.

Hugh was a devoted family man and always stressed of the importance of family and legacy. He has five loving grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Hugh is survived by his wife, Lorraine McKean of Fairfield, NJ.

His two sons, Hugh and his wife Leigh, of Shohola, Pa.; Mark and his wife Elizabeth, of Alpharetta, GA.

His five grandchildren, Jamie Jones, of Dallas, TX, Taylor Rosellini and her husband John, of Wilmette, Il.; Michael McKean and his wife Alycia, of West Chester, PA.; Sophia McKean of Denver, CO.; and Kyle McKean of Vancouver, WA.

His four great-grandchildren; Tatum Francis Jones, Emerson Drew Rosellini, John Frank Rosellini and Michael Nicholas Hugh McKean.

His three sisters and one sister-in law; Frances McKean, of Shohola, and her four children, Matt and wife Laurie, of Honesdale, and Dan McKean, David McKean and Karen McKean, all of Shohola. Clara Plucinski of Lincoln Park, NJ and her two children, Cathy Marcher, and her husband Eric, of Stroudsburg, PA.; Robert Plucinski, and his wife Carol of Denville, NJ. Genevieve Davis, of Shohola and her son, Rick Davis of Shohola. His sister-in law Joan McKean, of Shohola, and her two children, Lorie-Ann McKean, of Honesdale and Harvey Jr. and his wife Donna, of Shohola.

Friends may call at Stroyan Funeral Home, 405 W. Harford Street, Milford, PA on  Friday, May 13^th from 2:00PM to 4:00PM and 7:00PM to 9:00PM.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, May 14 at 10:00AM with Rev. Butch Gilpin officiating. Burial is to follow at the McKean Valley Cemetery in Shohola, PA.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the McKean Valley Cemetery Association. The address is Frances McKean - Treasurer, 148 Farm Road, Shohola, PA 18458.