Beloved South Jersey restaurateur dies suddenly

Glenn Keen owned and operated Cucina Carini with his wife Paula since 1995. If you went in for a nice dinner in their cozy Italian restaurant or just stopped at the counter for one of their take-out pizzas, the first person you usually saw was Glenn.

I've known Glenn for about three years. I started taking my mom there shortly after my dad passed away in 2019. She loved his wife Paula and I always enjoyed talking to Glenn. Everybody did.

Glenn died as a result of a car accident last Saturday night as he pulled out of the parking lot of his restaurant. He was airlifted to Temple University Hospital where he died shortly thereafter of his injuries.

Whenever we talked everyone in my family would remark what a really nice guy he was. He had a great warm and welcoming smile and was a truly devoted father and family man.

He once jokingly told me about him and his brother-in-law as the "Americans" being welcomed into his wife's Sicilian immigrant family.

The funeral services were Thursday 9/8 in Riverton. He leaves behind his beautiful family, including his wife Paolina (Paula), and his two sons, Vincenzo and Anthony, and an entire community of people who enjoyed his warm hospitality and his restaurant.

His death came as such a shock to all of us who knew him, whether in passing or closely. His death serves as a reminder that the end can happen at any time and without warning.

We all must appreciate every moment we have on this Earth and every person we have the privilege to come in contact with.

Glenn was pulling out of the parking lot he had left a thousand times before. Only a week ago Glenn or his family and friends would never imagine this to be happening.

Pay attention to your surroundings as best you can and love and cherish the ones dearest to you because you never know when or how suddenly they can be taken from us.

Glenn Keen you will be missed by all of us lucky to have known you. Rest in peace.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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