It was a solemn but celebratory occasion of which Clint Keown would have been proud.
Joined by Keown’s family and friends, Habitat for Humanity of Evansville on Oct. 2 snipped a ribbon at its 628th home, gray with gleaming white shutters and trim. Known for his athletic prowess and charismatic personality, Keown spoke of wanting to support a Habitat home in his old neighborhood.
After the 44-year-old’s life was cut short in a Sept. 22, 2024, vehicle crash in Illinois — in which passenger Matthew Redd suffered major injuries — friend Jeff Anderson and his wife, Nancy, decided to sponsor a home build in Keown’s memory. The invitation came from Sister Jane McClure, Habitat’s major gifts officer, and “the best saleswoman I know. You can’t say no to Sister Jane,” Anderson says with a laugh.
“He was such a great guy, a fabric of this community, and just a larger-than-life individual,” Anderson calls Keown, a decorated multi-sport graduate from Reitz Memorial High School. “Hopefully his spirit can continue to live in this neighborhood.”
McClure says Keown helped buy, repair, and resell dilapidated homes in the Jacobsville neighborhood where he was raised with sister Katie Carley, brother Casey, and late brother Cory. The Andersons, who already were committed to sponsoring a Habitat home, embraced the idea of dedicating it to Keown. “It was very special indeed to have a dedication where Clint’s wife Hannah, his son Colby, and his parents could all be present, and to know that he was still helping people,” McClure says.
The keys to the East Franklin Street home dedicated in his memory were given to “a caretaker for (her) grandchildren as well as for other future Habitat owners,” says local Habitat Executive Director Beth Folz. Housewarming gifts included a Japanese maple tree courtesy of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana.
Carley says her family is thankful for the Andersons’ generosity. The neighborhood remains special for her family because “this is where we started our lives, our journey.” The family lived there until Keown was 7, and Carley herself works in their old neighborhood at Delaware Elementary School.
Keown’s wife, Hannah, also looked on at the dedication with their five-year old son, Colby, and Hannah’s children Liam and Leighton Nolen. “It’s kind of bittersweet, because he talked about wanting to do a Habitat house at some point as a way to give back,” she says. “He grew up here, and if he came back today, he would be very humbled and proud.”
