John Edmund Keeffe ^{1 2}

  Noted events in his life were:

• He appeared on the 1930 US Census in Adams, WI on 21 April 1930. ¹

1930 US Census
Sheet 9A, District 1, Family 212, Roll 2560, Ward 2
Adams, Adams County, Wisconsin
Court Street; Home owned, $5000
John E. Keeffe..Son..8..WI
(Living with parents.)
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• He appeared on the 1940 US Census in Adams, WI on 20 April 1940. ²

1940 US Census
Sheet 8B, District 1-1, Family 197, Roll 4456
Adams, Adams County, Wisconsin
Home owned, $3500
Last Place of Residence: Same House
John Keeffe..Son..18..WI..12th grade..Student
(Living with parents.)
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• His obituary was published in the Wausau Daily Herald on 20 January 2011 in Wausau, WI.

John "Jake" Edmund Keeffe, 88, passed on to be with his loving brothers, sister, son, mother and father Jan. 16, 2011. He accepted the cancer that visited him in the summer of 2009 and his mortality with great humor and humility.

Grandpa John was born April 4, 1922, in Adams, Wis. Jake married his "Babe," Grace Ashworth, on April 27, 1945. They were high school sweethearts.

During World War II, he joined the Navy and became a pilot. He flew the OS2U Kingfisher seaplane escorting convoys and chasing the U-Boats out of the Caribbean.

John graduated from Marquette University Dental School in 1950 with the help of the GI Bill and set up practice in Wausau. He practiced dentistry in Wausau for 54 years, retiring in 2006.

John was preceded in death by his mother, Frances Ann (Koehler), and his father, Patrick Mervin; his four brothers and a sister; and his son, Michael John.

He is survived by Grace; and eight children, Patricia (Jim) Christensen, Princeton, Minn., Karen (Tom) Geissler, Elk River, Minn., Daniel (Jeanne McCarthy), South Milwaukee, and Timothy, Minneapolis, Joel (Anne), Crystal, Minn., Kelly (Phil Bloemsma), Aspen, CO., and David (Linda Weltzin) and Kevin (Leslie), both of Wausau; along with 18 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

John (aka Johnny, Jake, Doc, Grandpa) was above all a provider and an inspiration to those who knew him. His children knew and loved him as a man who put family first, followed closely by service to his community.

He was a loving father and a teacher of all things practical and philosophical. He provided his lessons with wry Irish wit and plenty of humor. He was a grand story teller whose stories were laced with values and morality lessons that helped shape the character of not only his children but many "adopted" children who adopted both Mom and Dad as temporary parents. You all were in his heart and are in ours.

Dad grew up with the Great Depression and World War II and the loss of his mother when he was just 18 years of age. His character and what he bestowed on all who loved him were influenced heavily by these great challenges that he faced at a very young age. He absolutely knew what real joy and values were and shared them with everyone he came in contact with.

Husband, father, brother, son, Navy pilot, proud member of the Experimental Aviation Association, dentist, Boy Scout leader, high school athletic director, and frequent chaperone, plumber, electrician, tailor, ski instructor, ski patrol, barber and friend were all titles he relished, and he lived robustly and with complete dedication.

Dad passed away at home surrounded by loved ones. His son, Kevin, saw to it that he had that luxury as Dad had done for his own father in the midst of raising nine young children. Kevin and Leslie's children, Riley Ann (11) and Ella Carlene (4) were the highlight of John's day as they played at his feet in the home they shared with their Grandpa.

With Grace, his beautiful wife of 66 years, he provided a safe warm home filled with unconditional love that was always open to all of our friends. Many a midnight soul-searching session over scrambled eggs was had at the Keeffe House, overseen by Mom and Dad, and attended by many different friends of the family over the years. No subject was taboo at these sometimes fun and goofy but many times deeply philosophical "sessions."

Dad taught us all love and respect for family. He taught us the value of dedication and perseverance at whatever we chose to do. He taught us mechanical skills, love of aviation, love of skiing, love of community, love of God, and he taught us the value of patience and humor in whatever our individual pursuits in life were.

His dental patients will never forget his perseverance at solving whatever problem came up, and the many stories he would tell while he had you "captive" in his dental chair. He left no stone unturned in this great service he provided for nearly 60 years.

His tenure as Scoutmaster of Troop 411 at St. James in Wausau was legendary. Troop 411 always camped in tents and always embarked on at least one outing per month. He mentored many young men into positions of leadership in their communities by insisting while they were in his care that they be given the opportunity to lead while they were Scouts. With a passion, he practiced the Scouting guidelines and let boys be leaders of boys. He saw that as his purpose in scouting.

Many families were turned on to family camping inspired by Dad. On any given weekend in the summers of our youth, we could all be found piled into a VW Microbus heading up to the Great Northwoods. We knew there was no turning back for anything we might have forgotten when Dad would say; "And we're off, like a dirty shirt."

And finally, Dad preached tolerance. He had no patience with any form of arrogance and made sure that we all knew the importance of the quest for understanding and compassion, along with the practice of restraint when tempted to judge our fellow man. His practice of tolerance was inspirational to all. All who came in contact with Dad got that right away and carried it with them throughout their lives.

The Catholic Mass and celebration of the life of John E. Keeffe will be at 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21, 2011, at St. Michael Catholic Church, 611 Stark St., Wausau. The Rev. Steven Brice will officiate. Visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. today at Brainard Funeral Home, 522 Adams St., Wausau, and again from 3:30 p.m. until the start of services Friday at the church.

The entire family is deeply grateful to the wonderful services provided by Dr. Hamied Rezazadeh along with Amy, Carla and the fine staff at Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services.

Memorial gifts can be directed to Randlin Homes for Veterans or Experimental Aviation Association -- Young Eagles.

Online condolences may be given at brainard funeral
home.com.

"Rest easy old flyer, and revel in the company of your family in heaven as we who carry on down here all proceed to build that addition in our hearts just for you."

Source: Wausau Daily Herald, Wausau, Wisconsin, 20 Jan 2011
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John married Grace Adeline Ashworth, daughter of Sidney Wallace Ashworth and Gertrude Amanda Hansen, on 27 April 1945 in Wisconsin. (Grace Adeline Ashworth was born on 20 July 1922 in Friendship, WI and died on 26 March 2012 in Wausau, WI.)