KEEFE, DONALD JOSEPH
Donald Joseph Keefe died peacefully in his sleep on December 9, 2008 and went to heaven with Our Lord to be reunited with his loving wife, Ginny, and darling daughter, Kathy.
Don was born in Fredericktown, MO on June 6, 1928 to Leo and Amelia (O’Bannon) Keefe. Soon after, the new family moved to Rawlins, WY where Don grew up with a younger brother and three younger sisters. Don graduated from high school a year early and decided to attend UCLA in the NROTC Program. Don always wanted to fly and his dream came true upon completion of Flight School in Pensacola, FL. He spent the next 13 years as a “Fighter Pilot” in the U.S. Navy. His harrowing adventures about the Korean War, night carrier landings, jet engine failure,…always kept his audience captivated, especially with his children and grandchildren.
In 1954, Don met the love of his life, Virginia “Ginny” Ann Beaton, on a blind date. After a whirlwind romance, Don and Ginny were married in Corpus Christi, TX. For the next couple of years, they lived the Navy lifestyle and eventually settled in Jacksonville, FL where their first daughter was born. Once Don started his family, he decided to join the Navy Reserves and continue his education. At this point, he moved back to Texas and entered the University of Texas-Austin where he received his BSEE. During this time, he and Ginny added two more daughters to the family.
In 1961, Don accepted a position as an Electrical Engineer at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois and moved his growing family to a small suburb of Chicago. Don enjoyed his work at ANL immensely. While there, he published 32 papers and obtained 7 patents. He also added 2 sons to complete his family of 5. His years in Illinois were happy times of family, friends, and the Vincentian Community.
In 1982, Don and Ginny moved to Santa Barbara, CA. Don worked the next 12 years for Raytheon as a Manager in the Digital Design Dept. Upon retirement, Don and Ginny travelled to England and Scotland but, within months of their return, Ginny was taken to heaven.
In 2003, Don moved to Lake San Marcos, CA. Giggles of laughter could be heard at his home where many a day was spent with his kids and grandkids. Don enjoyed entertaining his family at his home on the lake by taking trips on his little pontoon, swimming at his pool and grilling in the backyard. He never turned down a game of golf with his sons or a home cooked meal from his daughters. Of course, you would always see Don on his daily walk with his beloved dog, Houston.
Don was a wonderful man full of compassion, honest to a fault, sentimental and strong. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who loved his family with his whole heart. He is survived by 2 sisters, Colleen Borden of Houston, TX and Michaela McAuliffe of Roseburg, OR, 4 of his children, Peggy Holmes of San Diego, Terry Jennings of Thousand Oaks, Pat Keefe of Yorba Linda, Tim Keefe of San Marcos, 12 grandchildren and 5 step-grandchildren.