On Saturday morning, September 13, 2008 Harris County Sheriff’s Sergeant Thomas L. Keen was responding to a call to duty following a natural disaster resulting from Hurricane Ike. Sergeant Keen got into full uniform and began trying to make his way out of his neighborhood when he observed his route was blocked by a fallen tree that was lying across the roadway. Unable to get around the tree, Sergeant Keen went back to his residence and changed out of his uniform and returned with a chain saw in an effort to help his neighbors remove the tree from the roadway. He had already notified the dispatcher that he was on duty. It was a typical response for Sergeant Keen to have such determination to get to his assignment that he would opt to help his neighbors remove the tree from the public roadway. As Sergeant Keen was cutting the tree, a branch lying against a high-tension wire suddenly shot in the air, striking him on the head. He was transported by Life Flight to the hospital where he was pronounced dead two days later after succumbing to his injuries. Thomas L. Keen was born November 29, 1948 in Houston, Texas. He was taken to be with Our Lord on Monday, September 15, 2008. Tom is survived by his loving wife Jana McGill Keen, his son Cody and wife Brittany Keen, a Schnauzer that Tom named Kelli, his brother Mike Keen, and family members and dear friends far too many to list. Tom served his country as a member of the U.S. Army doing two tours of duty in Vietnam. He then served his community for 35 years with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. “Tommy” as he was known to his fellow officers, was a highly respected and beloved member of that special fraternity of those who vow to ‘protect and serve’. Tom’s greatest passion was his wife and family. A close second was his love for the great outdoors. He was an avid hunter who loved not just to hunt, but being outside, where for hours, he enjoyed watching nature and God’s beautiful creation. Tom’s many trips to the deer lease with his buddies served another purpose because while sitting around the campfire in the evenings, they would routinely manage to solve all the world’s problems. Tom was a man of honor, strong character and standards, and a take charge kind of guy. He was a wonderful provider and was a loving and caring man. He lived to the fullest every day with ‘Gusto’! Sergeant Keen was scheduled to retire at the end of October 2008, only one month after his sudden and tragic death. Sergeant Keen was the 34th deputy to die in the line of duty.