Joseph L.
Keefe, Sr.
Age
75, of Elmira,
passed away on Thursday, June 17, 2010 at the Chemung County Nursing
Facility. Joe was born March 31, 1935,
son of the late John J., Jr., and Elizabeth (Sullivan) Keefe. Joe is survived by his loving family, his
wife Priscilla “Percy” Williams Keefe, with whom he would have celebrated 50
years of marriage in October; children, with their families, Joseph L., Jr. and
Karen Keefe of East Homer, NY, with children, Shawn and Shannan; Elizabeth and
David Osborn of East Syracuse, NY, with son Ryan; Sarah and Robert Sandore of
Rome, NY. Also surviving are his
siblings, with their spouses, John J. “Jack”, III and Bonnie Keefe of Elmira,
Catherine K. “Katie” and Richard Hughes of Elmira, Michael F. and Sharon Keefe
of Las Vegas, NV, Mary Elizabeth and Dennis Wolfe of Elmira; sister-in-law Ann
O’Connell of Melbourne, FL; along with several nieces and nephews. Joe was a U S Army veteran serving his
country during the Korean Conflict. He
was the former owner and operator of Keefe Restaurant on West Miller Street, selling it in
1978. Joe then went to work for the City
of Elmira from
where he retired. He was a member and
past president of the Msgr. John J. Lee Division of the Ancient Order of
Hibernians, 2nd degree member of the Elmira Council #229 Knights of
Columbus, member of the American Legion Post #1208 in Wayne, NY, member of the
Elmira Elks Lodge #62, and a long time communicant of St. Mary’s Church,
Elmira. The “ultimate” Irishman, Joe was
a devout Catholic, and after his family, his great love was spending time with
his fellow Hibernians at the A.O.H. Club.
Friends are invited to McInerny
Funeral Home, corner of Water and Walnut Sts.,
on Sunday, June 20, 2010 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. A prayer service will be held at the funeral
home on Monday, June 21, 2010 at 8:45 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian
Burial at St. Mary’s Church, Elmira
at 9:30 a.m. Interment, with military
honors, will follow at St. Peter & Paul’s Cemetery. Those wishing may remember Joe with a
donation to the Hibernian Building Fund, 701 Kinyon Street, Elmira
NY 14904.
Officers and member of the
Msgr. John J. Lee Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians will meet at
McInerny Funeral Home, Sunday, June 20th at 1:45 p.m. to conduct a
prayer service for our brother Joe.
Signed,
Tom Corcoran, President
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