McDonald Keohane Funeral Home Donates $10,000 to NECHV in Memory of Repatriated Weymouth WWII Soldier

Representatives of the McDonald Keohane Funeral Home in Weymouth recently presented the New England Center and Home for Veterans (NECHV) with a $10,000 donation in memory of U.S. Army Private Alfred Thomas Langevin, an East Weymouth native who was killed in action during World War II and was classified as missing in action for more than 80 years. His remains were positively identified in July 2025 and were repatriated to his family and interred in Weymouth with full military honors on November 10, 2025. The McDonald Keohane donation represents the amount of the stipend the funeral home received from the federal government to manage Private Langevin’s services.

“When we got the call to assist the family of Private Langevin, and we found out that the federal government was going to pay $10,000 towards the services, we just didn’t feel right in accepting those funds,” said Dennis Keohane, co-owner of the McDonald Keohane Funeral Home. “So we decided that we wanted to donate the funds to the New England Center and Home for Veterans, because we were familiar with all the work they do and how they fill the gaps where some veterans can’t get care.”

“We are extremely grateful for this generous gift from the McDonald Keohane Funeral Home,” said NECHV President and CEO Andrew McCawley. “In addition to being a very important and generous donation, a leadership gift, what it represents is very special, as it represents the amount of money that the federal government paid to the funeral service for the interment of the remains of Private Langevin. And this is paying it forward to the Veterans in our community who are experiencing challenges and will benefit from this leadership gift.”

Weymouth Mayor Michael Molisse said that the funeral home’s donation “shows true pride that we do care about our Veterans. Having a chance to be here at this facility, and see what goes on here, is just amazing. I’m pleased to be here on this special occasion to support this organization and thank the Keohanes for all their work.”

“It’s a wonderful thing that the McDonald Keohane Funeral Home took upon themselves to donate the entire proceeds of Private Langevin’s burial expenses in his memory, towards other Veterans in need,” said George Pontes, Weymouth Director of Veterans Services. “I think it’s a wonderful expression of gratitude.”

Private Langevin was born on March 3, 1915, in Jackson Square, Weymouth. He entered active military service on January 31, 1944, and was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division and deployed to the European Theater. On November 6, 1944, during the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest, Private Langevin was reported missing in action near the town of Hürtgen, Germany.

In June 2021, a renewed identification effort led by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and the American Battle Monuments Commission exhumed a set of remains from the Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium, known only as “X-2756.” After advanced DNA testing and forensic analysis, those remains were positively identified as Private Alfred T. Langevin on July 30, 2025, a breakthrough 81 years in the making.

About the New England Center and Home for Veterans

Founded in 1989, the New England Center and Home for Veterans is a nationally recognized leader in serving Veterans. The NECHV is a multidimensional service and care provider that assists Veterans who are facing challenges with a broad array of programs and services that enable success, meaningful employment, and dignified, independent living. For more information, visit nechv.org.