Jean Sara McKenna of Beverly died peacefully on Monday, October 19, 2026. She was 89.
She was born in Beverly on July 21, 1937 to Russell and Elizabeth Dennis, graduated from Story High School in Manchester-by-the-Sea in 1955 and stayed in touch with her class for the rest of her life. She married Joseph G. McKenna in 1959; they had three sons, and she lived at the same Beverly address for 60 years. Books were her passion, Gone with the Wind above all, and she built Jean S. McKenna Books into a rare and used book business with two Beverly storefronts before running it from home, trading letters with fellow collectors for decades. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren grew up in her book room. She loved the Roaring Twenties, Dixieland, gospel and Elvis, danced a lively Charleston well into her later years, led exercise sessions at the senior center and for 20 years worshiped at North Shore Community Baptist Church, where she served in the library and built up its shelves for young readers.
She leaves her sons, Jeffrey Allan and his wife Louise of Savage, Minn., and Jon Russell of Peabody; her sisters, Cleone White of Gloucester and Marianne Shrewsberry of Manchester-by-the-Sea; six grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren. Her husband, who died in 2004, her son Joseph “Jay” and her siblings Allen, Diane and William died before her.
A family graveside service is Saturday, October 31 at 9:30 a.m. at Rosedale Extension Cemetery, Manchester-by-the-Sea, followed by an 11 a.m. memorial service open to all at North Shore Community Baptist Church, Beverly Farms, with refreshments after. Arrangements are by the Campbell Funeral Home, Beverly. The family suggests donations to the church.
Compiled from information published by Campbell Funeral Home. Photograph courtesy of the family via Campbell Funeral Home. This is our own summary, not the family’s obituary; read the full obituary and leave a condolence at the funeral home’s page on Legacy.com. Corrections: we will fix any error promptly.
