Stella Keen, daughter,  writes:

Jackie Keen - the widow of artist and filmmaker Jeff Keen and star of so many of his films - has died following complications from pneumonia.

Born just at the start of WW2, Jackie's early life was marked by poverty and a kind of 'gypsy style' existence, moving from place to place as her unmarried mother travelled the UK looking for work and a better life. This fractured upbringing was exacerbated by the problems of wartime.

Her absentee father Jack Foulds - a strikingly handsome Rudolph Valentino lookalike - disappeared from their life early on, leaving Jackie's mother Nina Harker to fend for herself. The father then took Jackie's brother Gordon with him to join the navy. Jackie was an evacuee for a while, then followed a fragmented education as she was taken in and out of schools. She grew up quickly, having to find work in her early teens, often lying about her age.

By the early 1950's Jackie and her mother had settled in Brighton on the south coast, where she was soon to meet her future husband. It was a meeting of soul mates in a Beatnik coffee bar and they were married soon after in 1955 when Jackie was 18.

Jeff - a gentle, kind, educated man - offered her the security and education she had craved. He encouraged her to go to art college as she showed great promise as a painter. Jackie also joined a local drama group alongside actor Peter Cleall who went on to star as Duffy in the TV comedy series "Please Sir!" Jackie showed talent in this field and performed in several local stage productions.

Her precise detailed painting technique evoked a kind of Renaissance style romantic Surrealism. Like so many women artists whose partners are also artists, she never really pursued this further, feeling she was the lesser talent. However, she did continue to produce some very inventive hand painted enamel jewellery, which she sold through Mr Freedom and other 1960's boutiques, as well as painted furniture and 'trompe l'oeil' murals.

Jeff and Jackie helped found Brighton Polytechnic's Film Society and they made many good lifelong friends during this period. Biba designer Barbara Hulanicki was at the art college then and Brighton was already becoming a 'happening scene'. Jackie also became good friends with Avril Hodges-Wilshir, a design student at the Royal College of Art who starred in Jeff's early films as Daphne Dayle. Jackie and Avril were rebellious kindred spirits, buying the same shocking pink coats and taking trips to Paris to stage impromptu street performances.

In the 1960's the artist couple's bohemian attic apartment became a hangout for Brighton's creative community, visiting artists and collaborators. These included the poet Piero Heliczer, star of Andy Warhol's Factory, who suggested they move to New York, but poverty and the subsequent birth of their only child Stella in 1965 meant they staying Brighton for the rest of their lives.

From her first appearance in Jeff's early films, Jackie shone with tremendous charisma and natural star quality. Her striking beauty meant the camera loved her, and she instinctively knew how to work the scene with 'golden age' Hollywood glamour. She shared a remarkable resemblance to Rita Hayworth and also B-Movie actor Maria Montez, muse to underground filmmaker Jack Smith. As well as the movies, Jackie was also a regular performer on stage as part of Jeff's 'Expanded Cinema' events in the UK and abroad. Her free attitude to nudity as a form of her self expression was extremely liberated at the time.

Jackie had an amazing chameleon-like ability to transform herself into a myriad of feminine archetypes. Her inventive talent for make up and costume making helped create so many visually arresting screen personas - including the iconic Catwoman from "Marvo Movie". Jeff's early films are a love letter to his muse and she helped make cinema history.

With two strong personalities working so closely together, the marriage came to an abrupt end with Jackie leaving in 1980. They both stayed in Brighton living separate lives. Jackie suffered a stroke in 1990 but made a remarkable recovery. The couple were reunited in later years when Jeff became ill in 2007 and Jackie cared for him until his death in 2012.

Jackie will be remembered as an ardent socialist and generous friend, a wild rebel and true movie star. A 'no budget' legend of stage and screen. She was Glam before Glam Rock, Punk before Punk. She is survived by her brother and daughter.

Born 22/11/37 - died 27/02/16.
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Funeral around Fri 8th April (TBC)