Obituary of John F. O'Keefe

John F. O’Keefe
March 24, 2018

John F. O’Keefe, 91, most recently of Cambridge, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully at his home on March 24, 2018.  He was born on August 8, 1926 in Schenectady, New York, son of the late John (Jack) and Nora O’Keefe.  John’s wife, Doris (Dede) Calkins O’Keefe predeceased him in 1984.  He is survived by his sons John (Tim) O’Keefe of Cambridge, Massachusetts and Brian O’Keefe of Oro Valley, Arizona, as well as by Tim’s husband Mark Smith and Brian’s wife Elizabeth O’Keefe, and his grandchildren Sean and Sarah O’Keefe.  

John graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in Schenectady in 1944 and entered the Navy.  He served for two years on the USS Vestal in the Pacific theater.  On returning from the war, he relocated to Syracuse along with his family, and entered Syracuse University, graduating in 1950.  He then began a long career working for General Electric, primarily in the marketing area of the semiconductor products division.  He and Dede married in 1957 and settled in Eastwood where they raised their sons.  John retired from GE in 1985, and enjoyed golf, bowling, jazz piano, and many walks in his neighborhood.  He was a daily communicant at Blessed Sacrament Church.  John continued to live in Syracuse until moving to Massachusetts in 2012.  Until last fall he was a regular walker of the streets of Cambridge and until his last days he was an avid sports fan, a discerning musician, and a loving father and grandfather.  John was a great lover of dogs in his later decades and gifts in his memory can be made to MSPCA-Angell Memorial Hospital, 350 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130.

The funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at 10:30am in Blessed Sacrament Church with entombment to follow in St. Mary’s Mausoleum.  The family will greet friends at the conclusion of the mass.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial gift to the MSPCA-Angell Memorial Hospital, 350 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130; John was a great lover of dogs in his later decades, and they would appreciate any gift and use it well for something he cared about deeply.