Brenda Keefe still has her sister Queenie’s key from the stateroom where she stayed while traveling westbound aboard the SS United States.
The SS United States was nearing the end of her service career in the late 1960s. However, the vessel’s iconic design and grandeur wasn’t fading for those who were walking her decks - or, for that matter, those gazing upon her while at port. That’s exactly when Brenda Keefe of Norwich, Connecticut, encountered the Big U in what would be a life-changing encounter.
Brenda was picking up her sister, Queenie, from the passenger terminal at Pier 86 along New York City’s waterfront. Queenie Englehart had been visiting family and friends in Europe, and she had made the westbound crossing aboard America’s Flagship.
Speaking recently with the Conservancy, Brenda remembered being overwhelmed by the size and scale of the Blue Riband holder.
Brenda recalled, “At the time, you could drive right up to the pier in New York. We parked practically right up along side the ship and waited for my sister to get off. I remember being particularly struck by the black of the hull. It was right there. It was like you could reach out and touch it!” Brenda also noted the SS United States’ iconic, massive red, white, and blue funnels.
Queenie, Brenda reminisced, had a lifelong love for elegance and fine dining, passions that could be easily fulfilled while traveling aboard the “First Lady of the Seas.” Having grown up in a farming family, the encounter with the SS United States was particularly impactful for Brenda. Her only previous encounter with any kind of water craft had been a fishing trip with her uncle in his small rowboat.
Brenda left New York that day with a new passion, and both she and Queenie, went on to own boats. After purchasing a 21’ Sea Ray boat, Brenda became an instructor for boater licensing courses through the U.S. Power Squadron, a national non-profit organization whose mission is to improve maritime safety and enjoyability through education.
Recently, the Norwich Power Squadron, a chapter of the United States Power Squadrons, hosted Conservancy President Susan Gibbs for a special presentation about the life and legacy of William Francis Gibbs, the famed maritime architect responsible for the SS United States. For Brenda, it was an opportunity to bring out her late-sister’s stateroom key, Cabin Number 38, and look back fondly on the ship that kick-started a lifelong passion for getting out on the water. The Norwich Power Squadron proceeded to make a generous donation to the SS United States Conservancy in appreciation for the organization’s “passion and tireless work for the Grand Lady.” Thank you, Brenda, for your support and for sharing your story!