Sue Keen Leaves Two Big Jobs to Fill In Avalon

Sue Keen in one of her final days on the job.

By Dave Coskey

Sometimes things just happen to work out for the best. Case in point: It was January 2003 and Sue Keen had just completed working three decades with New Jersey Bell Telephone Company.

Her grandfather, a native of Southwest Philadelphia, was the first to discover the magic of the Seven Mile Beach in 1927. That’s when he first invested on the island. That would allow Sue to spend each summer in Avalon until 1962, when she was 19. That’s when she would make Avalon her permanent home. She even collected the Miss Avalon crown during the summer of 1963.

But back to January 2003. Keen moved her job a little closer to home and had just been hired by the Borough of Avalon to coordinate activities for the town’s seniors. Barbara Halverson, the longtime administrative assistant to the mayor, had just resigned. Avalon’s new mayor, Marty Pagliughi, who along with his wife Lynda were longtime friends of Keen, suggested that she submit her resumé. She was soon hired as the new administrative assistant to the mayor.

As she recalls, “When I asked about the original position that I was hired for, the mayor said, ‘Don’t worry. I know that you can handle both jobs.’”

Pagliughi was spot-on. In addition to handling hundreds of calls and letters each month for Avalon’s mayor, Keen became the programming wizard for Avalon seniors. Bingo, cooking classes, Sit and Be Fit classes … many of her senior events filled so fast that waiting lists needed to be created.

Two decades later, Avalon’s senior bingo is a popular event that fills the senior center each month. Celebrity number callers, valuable prizes, and a tasty lunch keep players coming back month after month for two hours of camaraderie and fun. And cooking classes fill almost as soon as registration begins.

“It’s just something that I really enjoy doing,” Keen says of the senior activities. “The people are all so nice, and it’s a small town, so we’re all friends. I find it so satisfying to coordinate events that so many people enjoy.”

She goes on to explain that there are also challenges to the job that she will be leaving this month to start her retirement.

“Depending on the time of year, the needs of our taxpayers vary,” she notes. “Those who live here all year may have one set of needs. Our summer homeowners have others. And finally, there are those of our visitors. But they are each important – and time needs to be spent trying to answer each question or for solving each issue.”

Recalls Pagliughi: “I knew that Sue would be perfect for the job because she cares so much. She cares, and she’ll do anything for you. Sue Keen is a lifelong friend and one of the nicest people that I’ve ever met.”

You might expect a bit of a transition after 20 years with one mayor when suddenly you’re reporting to a new boss. “Oh my gosh, I’ve known John since he was 8 years old,” she says of John McCorristin, who succeeded Pagliughi as mayor in 2023. “I’ve been very lucky to work for two people that I know so well and like so much. Really, I’ve been blessed,” Keen says.

Says McCorristin: “My heartfelt thanks go out to Sue for her guidance and direction during my time as mayor. Sue was planning to retire the year that I was elected but since she has been a friend for over 70 years, she said she would stay on and help with my new position.

“She has not only been an asset to me, but a true Avalon gem. Her outstanding work with senior programs, the Cape May County Animal Shelter, Holy Redeemer, and St. Brendan the Navigator, is nothing short of amazing. Sue Keen will be greatly missed for her enthusiastic outlook on life and her dedication to the Borough of Avalon. Thank you for everything, my dear friend.”

Now the transition to more personal time.

“I probably won’t be playing bingo myself,” she says. “At least not yet. I have so many things that I want to take care of. Perhaps then I’ll join the crowd enjoying those afternoons in the Avalon Senior Center.”

And where will you find Sue? “Right in my house,” she answers quickly. “Where would I go? This is my home. This is where my family and friends are. And I love living here.”

So, if you’re passing through Avalon’s Borough Hall before the end of June, be sure to stop by the mayor’s office and wish Sue Keen well in retirement.