Patricia Dolores O’Keefe
Patricia Dolores O’Keefe, 89, of Chattanooga, passed peacefully in her home on Saturday, January 27, 2024, surrounded by her adoring family.
Pat was born in New York City on February 1, 1934, to John and Mary Devine. She was raised in an Irish Catholic household that was filled with laughter and music. Although the family also faced occasional hardships, her early experiences shaped Patsy’s characteristic strength and resilience, as well as her exuberant love of life.
In 1956, she married her only love, John O’Keefe, and they embarked on a devoted, 62-year marriage that ended with his passing in 2018. She raised six children, and she was committed to nurturing their passions. Kind and cheerful, she formed an easy and natural connection with all children. As her own youngest children approached adulthood, Pat started the second act of her adult life. She enrolled in Erlanger Nursing School in the early 1980s, and soon graduated with honors. For more than twenty years, she worked as a neonatal intensive care nurse at Erlanger Hospital. She found the work intensely satisfying, as she ably applied her expertise to helping fragile newborns. Pat also had a knack for reassuring the nervous parents of her young patients. Many years after her retirement, she continued to hear words of praise from the families of former patients, who remembered her as their “favorite nurse.”
In her last decades, Pat traveled extensively with her best friend, her husband John. She also devoted countless, joyful hours to her eight grandchildren. Upon arrival in the homes of her grandchildren, she would immediately join them in whatever playful activities they desired. Pat had a pure heart and a vibrant spirit. Her family will miss her beautiful presence, but we feel fortunate to have lived in the light of her love for so many years.
Patsy is predeceased by her husband, John, as well as her sister, Betty Ann, and her brothers, Jackie and Charlie.
She is survived by her sisters, Eileen (John) Huarte and Linda (Jack) Sproule. She is also survived by her six children: sons Kevin and Brian (Carla) and daughters, Mary Ellen (Michael) Cahill, Dolores, Jackie (Luke) Powers, and Sheila (Richard) Lloyd. Additionally, she is survived by eight grandchildren: Patrick, Bridget, and Maura O’Keefe; Devin and Erin O’Keefe; Kathleen Cahill; Phoebe and John Powers.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to OLPH Church or Audubon Acres in Chattanooga.
The family will receive friends from 4-8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 2, at Chattanooga Funeral Home, S. Moore Road.
Funeral services will be held at noon on Saturday, Feb. 3, at OLPH Catholic Church, Moore Road.
Please share your thoughts and memories at www.ChattanoogaEastChapel.com.