Final tribute paid to Homer's Eagle Lady </MCC HEAD>

Story last updated at 8:33 PM on Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Final tribute paid to Homer's Eagle Lady

By McKibben Jackinsky
Staff writer

For the red hair, the tossing of fish and the swooping of bald eagles, Saturday could have been any winter day on the Homer Spit. At that location for more than 30 years, Jean Keene, Homer's Eagle Lady, conducted daily feedings of the birds through the winter months.

Photographer: McKibben Jackinsky, Homer News

Among the many eagles on hand for the Saturday feeding in memory of Jean Keene, who died Jan. 13, was this bald eagle recognized by many as Keene's favorite.

Instead, the red haired, long-limbed person tossing fish to eagles Saturday afternoon was the Eagle Lady's son, Lonnie, joined by Keene's 26-year-old granddaughter, Chelsea. The event was a ceremonial feeding of eagles in memory of Keene, who died Jan. 13. It was followed by a celebration of her life, held at Land's End Resort.

Photographers filled and encircled Keene's fenced-in compound in the Homer Spit Campground. Videographers Luca Bracali of Italy and Paul Gray of the television show "Exploring Alaska" were on hand, as well as television camera crews and wildlife photographers. Cary Anderson, Anchorage author and photographer of the book "The Eagle Lady," attended with his wife and son. Visitors and Homer residents stood side-by-side, sharing stories and waiting for the feeding to begin.

"We came for this," said a seven-member group from Oklahoma and Alaska that met over the Web through www.meetup.com, adding, "And we'll be back."

With the help of Steve Tarola, who assisted Keene with the feeding for several years, boxes of frozen herring were set out, from which Lonnie Keene and Chelsea Keene threw fish for the eagles while hundreds of cameras recorded the moment.

"Last fish," Lonnie Keene finally yelled to the crowd, hesitating briefly while cameras took aim. Then the fish was gone, into the air, into the talons of a waiting eagle and into the memory of all those gathered for the event.

Photo by McKibben Jacknsky

After connecting through meetup.com Back, left to right: Lindsey Melton, Oklahoma; Justin Wesselhoft, Oklahoma; Tim Poulsen, Anchorage; Catherine Barth, Anchorage; Cole Milstead, Anchorage; Larissa Johnson, Alaska. Front: Adam Carey, Anchorage. all traveled to Homer for the celebation of Keene's Life

Within minutes, the crowd moved to the Quarterdeck at Land's End Resort, where the muted sound of wild bird calls greeted Keene's family, friends and fans. A slideshow of photos taken by Anderson chronicled Keene's life as a young girl, mother, rodeo trick rider, waitress, truck driver and, finally, her years as the "Eagle Lady," a role for which she became known around the world.

"Nothing we can do here will top what you did next door," Darrell Oliver of Land's End said of the memorial eagle feeding, as he opened the mic for a sharing of Jean Keene stories. "That was really the tribute of all tributes."