John R. Keeley Jr.

John R. Keeley Jr. (age 91) sadly, passed away on March 15th after a long illness.

Though his absence will leave a void in our hearts, memories of the wisdom, lessons, adventures and love that he shared will be deeply cherished and not forgotten.

John was born on June 26,1933 in New Haven, Connecticut, where he lived with his parents, sister and their special cat Cubby. He and his sister, Nancy, often sang on the radio as children. John graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1951. After high school, he was inducted into the U.S. Army on June 2,1953. He served during the Korean Conflict, but was stationed in France. His rank was Private First Class (PFC). He received an Honorable Discharge on May 5, 1955. He then served as an Army Reservist until May 31, 1961. In later years, he was an active member in the local American Legion Post. Upon his return, he studied at Quinnipiac College and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting.

After graduating from Quinnipiac in 1958, he started working as an accountant for Byxbee & Company. He spent most of his career, however, with Connecticut Foods Inc. and the Howard Johnson Restaurants. His love for accounting, analysis and numbers showed through his 40+ years in this field, earning him the title of Vice President Controller upon his retirement in 1997.

On June 20, 1953, John eloped with his beloved wife, Joan, to New York City. They were married for 49 years and lived in the same house in Orange, Connecticut since 1966.

Another one of John’s passions was traveling and exploring the US and Canada with his wife and family. He drove cross country with a pop-up camper several times, visiting a variety of places and countless National Parks. John was also a passionate and avid hiker and reached 40 of the 48 - 4,000 ft peaks of New Hampshire. He was a volunteer for the Appalachian Trail and spent many weekends on it. He shared adventures and many walks with his children and grandchildren. He was a member of several outdoor and environmental groups. Although the Appalachian Mtn. Club was closest to his heart. He also belonged to the New Haven Hiking Club, leading group hikes throughout the year, all over CT and MA sharing his love for the outdoors.

John along with his wife Joan, became active timeshare owners during the 1980’s. They owned a few with their favorites being Loon Mountain Resort in New Hampshire and Orange Lakes in Orlando, Florida. Following retirement, he was heavily involved in timeshare management as an owner. At the Village of Loon Mountain Resort, he served as Chairman on the “Owner’s Board” for approximately 20 years. John and Joan would use and exchange his weeks in order to explore the many beautiful sights across the country. He would often share his weeks with family members and made travel a family activity.

Throughout John's life, he was always reaching for ways to learn, teach and share. Some of his other interests were genealogy, classical music, reading, history, coin collecting, raising guppy fish, tons and tons of photo taking, and watching documentaries on PBS and National Geographic TV.

Though John had many interests and passions, above all, he was a devoted and loving family man. His greatest passion was family. He is predeceased by his wife, Joan Ann DiMeola, and his son, Raymond Gerald Keeley, and grandson, Timothy John Keeley. He is survived by his sister, Nancy Jeanne Mahan, his sons, John R. Keeley III (Gelsomina), Kenneth M. Keeley, and daughters, Dorre M. Coon (Kevin), Karen A. Heinritz (Charlie). As well as 13 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Arrangements – Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 20, 2025, from 8:30 to 10:30 at the Alderson-Ford Funeral Home of Cheshire, 615 South Main St. At 10:30, his funeral procession will depart the funeral home and process to St. Bridget Church for a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 am. Burial will follow in St. Bridget Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the National Park Foundation, 1500 K Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20005 or by clicking here or to the American Legion Post 127, 630 Grassy Hill Rd, Orange, CT 06477.