HOMER -- Jean Keene, the 85-year-old "Eagle Lady" whose feeding program draws hundreds of bald eagles and scores of nature photographers to the Homer Spit each winter, died Tuesday evening in her Spit home.
Keene had been unwell but continued to feed fish scraps to the eagles this winter. In 2006, the city banned feeding of eagles but allowed Keene to continue feeding until 2010.
Keene's passing flashed first around the Internet on photography sites.
"I don't think folks in town really realized what a celebrity she was," said Dick Ginkowski, a Wisconsin photographer who said he'd been to Homer 10 times.
"We're all just shocked at her passing. She was such an integral part of the Land's End community," said Dawn Schneider, general manager of Land's End Resort.
The restaurant at the Spit resort has a booth with a plaque where Keene held court regularly with visitors from around the world, Schneider said.
Keene died around 7 p.m. Tuesday with several good friends in attendance, she said.
Plans for a memorial service will be settled later this week, Schneider said. |
