Marcia Jean Walton, 14, schoolgirl, saved Charles P. Walsh, 6, from drowning, Manomet, Massachusetts, August 12, 1958. When he fell from an inflated rubber raft which he had paddled to 130 feet from shore at Manomet Beach, Charles was submerged briefly in water 10 feet deep. Unable to swim, he flailed his arms in an effort to remain afloat and called for help as the raft drifted away from him. Marcia ran 300 feet to the water’s edge. She waded 15 feet and then swam a 115 feet to where Charles again had sunk, his head 18 inches below the surface. Treading water, Marcia reached down into the water, grasped Charles, and drew him to the surface. He squirmed in her grasp, coughing and expelling water. After calming him, Marcia drew Charles onto his back, placed her arm across his chest, and began towing him toward the beach. Waves a foot high, caused by a speedboat passing 300 feet away, washed over their heads; and Marcia’s legs brushed a submerged rock projection as she passed over it. She towed Charles a total of a 115 feet and, somewhat winded, secured footing in water four feet deep. A woman waded into the water and took Charles, who then was inert, from Marcia. With Marcia following, the woman carried Charles to the beach, where he was revived
Obituary
Marcia J. Keen, 82, of Sagamore Beach, MA died on September 14, 2026 after a battle with cancer. She was born in Plymouth to Henry and Dorothy (Crane) Walton on August 4, 1944.
Upon graduating from Plymouth High in 1962, Marcia went on to pursue nursing at Truesdale School of Nursing and graduated in 1965. She worked in nursing for over 20 years at Plymouth County Hospital and Cranberry Specialty Hospital. Upon retiring, she joined the staff at her veterinarian’s office in Halifax. Marcia was at her best when she was nurturing people and animals.
Marcia married Charles Williams in 1965 and they raised their son Michael in Hanson. In 1981, she married Richard Keen and they shared their love of animals, owning many dogs, cats, horses, and sheep. Together, they enjoyed horseback riding, skiing, boating, fishing, and gardening. Dick died on July 23, 2026.
Marcia was happiest when she was on the water or at the beach. At age 14, she saved a six-year-old boy from drowning at Manomet Beach, earning her a Carnegie Hero Medal. She and Dick owned several boats and loved to fish for stripers out of Plymouth Harbor. Next time you hear a crashing wave or feel sand between your toes, think of Marcia.
She leaves her son Michael Williams (Keiko), niece Melissa English (Joseph), nephew Kenneth (Kathleen) and stepchildren, Nancy McFarland, Sally Davis (Scott), and Phillip Keen, plus many grandchildren and great grandchildren.