Frances Marie Kenney (née Burke; May 4, 1922 – December 2, 2017) was an American beauty pageant contestant who was the winner of Miss America in 1940.

Biography

Burke, from

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, was crowned Miss America at the

Boardwalk Hall Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, formerly known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is a multi-purpose arena in Atlantic City in Atlantic County, New Jersey. It was Atlantic City's primary convention center until the opening of the Atlant ...

in Atlantic City on September 7, 1940. She competed in the pageant as Miss Philadelphia. After winning the Miss America title Burke worked as a successful model. Despite opportunities in Hollywood, she chose to stay close to her family in Philadelphia. Burke was married to Lawrence Kenney for 72 years and had four children (Missy, Wendy, Lawrence, and William) and was the grandmother of five boys and five girls. She died at the home of her daughter on December 2, 2017, at the age of 95.Frances Burke Kenney Obituary
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burke, Frances Marie 1922 births 2017 deaths Miss America 1940s delegates Miss America Preliminary Swimsuit winners Miss America winners People from Philadelphia 20th-century American people