Frank Keen

Person

Frank Keen

1978 - 2002

Dr Francis J.G. Keen was born in 1955 in Camberwell, London, and has lived in Croydon since the age of three.

He attended St. Marks Church of England Primary School (South Norwood), St. Anthonys Roman Catholic Junior School (Anerley), Bishop Thomas Grant Roman Catholic Secondary School (Streatham) where he was Sacristan, Librarian and Head Boy. He has studied at the Universities of Southampton (Theology), Toulouse (France) (English Literature) and Canterbury (English for Secondary School Teaching). His main area of research has been in the religious poetry of suffering in English poets.

His professional life has included working as an Auxiliary Male Nurse at Mayday Hospital, Croydon. He has worked for British Telecoms International as a Satellite Non-Switched Digital Transit Level 1 Manager as well as working as a Lecturer at the Social Sciences, University of Toulouse. He lectured in English for Special Purposes in Law, Economics, Political Sciences, Social and Economic Administration, University of the Third Age and Womens University Studies. He was a translator and interpreter in French and English. He was awarded Toulouse Universitys medal for service in 1989. He obtained three straight firsts at Toulouse University (Literature Faculty) and qualified as a teacher in the UK in 1992. He taught English, Drama and French at Selsdon High School from 1990 to 1999 where he was also a Head of Year. For the first two years at Selsdon, he was training as a Licenced Teacher on a point 5 release and week-end programme in association with the Education Faculty of Christ Church College, Canterbury University. He was the Local Chairman of the Professional Association of Teachers (Croydon Branch) and has stayed a member of this organisation. He was a Governor at Redgates Special School from 1983 to 1987. He presently works as an a part-time administrator for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark and is the main carer for his disabled son, Sebastian.

He married Anne-Marie, a French citizen, in 1978. His hobbies include cooking, plane spotting and, inevitably, reading - especially biographies. He is a sci-fi fan and enjoys collecting action and sci-fi videos. In 1983 he became the Chair of the Friends and Trustees of Orchard Hill College of Further Education for People with Profound, Severe, Multiple and Complex Learning Difficulties which his son currently attends.

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