John Thomas O'Keefe's Obituary
JOHN THOMAS O'KEEFE, "JACK", 80, PASSED AWAY AUGUST 17, 2022, SURROUNDED BY HIS LOVING FAMILY.
JACK IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE, MARGARET "PEGGY" O'KEEFE, SON, JOHN T. O'KEEFE JR (JULIE) AND DAUGHTER, JENNIFER O'KEEFE, AND 5 GRANDCHILDREN: KARSEN, KENDALL, NATALIE, CHLOE, AND LEO WHO CALLED HIM "O". JACK WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS PARENTS, LEONARD AND IDA O'KEEFE.
JACK GREW UP IN BROCKTON MA, GRADUATING FROM BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL IN 1960. JACK CONTINUED ON TO GET HIS BA IN FINANCE AT WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE, 1964, AND FURTHER HIS MBA AT BABSON COLLEGE, 1966, WHERE HE WAS VALEDICTORIAN OF HIS GRADUATING CLASS. IN 1967, JACK SPENT A YEAR IN VIETNAM DURING THE WAR AND IN DECEMBER 1967 WAS PRESENTED WITH THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL FOR MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT.
JACK AND PEGGY WERE MARRIED IN 1971 IN EAST WEYMOTH, MA. JACK SPENT A REMARKABLE 37 YEARS WORKING FOR GENERAL ELECTRIC AS A FINANCIAL OFFICER. AFTER RETIREMENT, HE MOVED TO TILGHMAN ISLAND MARYLAND TO LIVE OUT HIS DREAM OF WATCHING SAILBOATS FROM SUNSET TO SUNDOWN IN HIS VERY OWN BACKYARD WITH HIS LOVE OF LIFE, PEGGY.
DURING RETIREMENT, JACK DID NOT SIT STILL. HE WAS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE TILGHMAN OF CHESAPEAKE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND VARIOUS COMMUNITY PROJECTS. HE COULD OFTEN BE FOUND IN HIS MUSIC ROOM WITH HEADPHONES ON OR ONLINE FINDING THE LATEST SHEET MUSIC FOR TRENDY POP MUSIC TO TEACH HIS GRANDCHILDREN HOW TO PLAY PIANO.
IN HIS 80 YEARS, JACK TAUGHT US MANY THINGS. HE TAUGHT US THE LOVE OF JAZZ MUSIC. JACK WAS OFTEN TRAVELING TO CONCERTS ALONG THE EAST COAST. HE SHOWED US THAT EVEN THE MOST ULTIMATE HANDYMAN PROJECT COULD BE COMPLETED. MOST IMPORTANTLY, HE TAUGHT HIS CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN TO ALWAYS SAVE 10% OF EVERY PAYCHECK.
ABOVE ALL, JACK WAS A FAMILY MAN. GENEROUS AND KIND. GIFTED AND INTELLIGENT. WHEN HE SPOKE, EVERYONE LISTENED AS IT WAS MEANINGFUL AND FROM THE HEART.
LIFE WITHOUT JACK'S ENORMOUS SWEET SMILE SEEMS UNIMAGINABLE BUT WE FIND PEACE KNOWING THAT NO ONE REALLY DIES IF THE LOVE REMAINS. OUR LOVE FOR JACK WILL FOREVER REMAIN IN OUR HEARTS AND CHERISHED MEMORIES OF HIM AS A LOVING HUSBAND, INCREDIBLE FATHER AND ROLE MODEL, AND ADORED GRANDPA "O".
A CELEBRATION OF JACK'S BEAUTIFUL LIFE WILL BE HELD IN THE SPRING OF 2023.
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