Thelma Keane

Thelma "Thel" Keane (née Carne; March 15, 1926 – May 23, 2008) was the Australian-born American wife of The Family Circus newspaper cartoonist, Bil Keane. Keane served as her husband's inspiration and model for the "Mommy" character in his long-running comic strip and was instrumental in restoring the copyrights for The Family Circus to her husband.

Early life Keane was born Thelma Carne in Gympie, Queensland, Australia, in 1926.

Thelma and Bil were married in 1948. The family was Catholic.

The Family Circus

Bil Keane began drawing The Family Circus comic strip in 1960. He modeled the Mommy in the cartoon on his wife, Thelma.

Thelma Keane worked as the full-time financial and business manager for her husband while he continued to draw The Family Circus.

Her youngest son, Jeff Keane, continued to help his father draw and publish The Family Circus as an assistant inker and colorist. He took the full-time role of being the lead cartoonist after Bil Keane died in 2011.