Andrew O'Keefe

Andrew O'Keefe passed away peacefully at his Langley home on January 20th, 2026 after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. He is survived by his wife Laurie Davenport, their three adult children (Leaf, Megan, Lucy) spouses and six grandchildren as well as five siblings (Tim, Kevin, Anne, Maureen). He was preceded in death by his parents Andy and Ann O'Keefe and his older sister Nora.
Andy was raised in an Irish Catholic family near Detroit. He attended Catholic schools and was an altar boy believe it or not. He joined Boy Scouts and became an Eagle Scout. Scouting introduced him to camping and the great outdoors which became a lifelong passion. As an adult he did at least 30 solo canoe trips around the Bowron Lakes loop in the wilds of British Columbia.
A honeymoon trip to the Northwest with Andy's first wife introduced him to the beauty of this region. They decided to settle on Whidbey Island in the 1970s where Andy got a job as the caretaker at Sandy Point Beach community. After a few years the marriage ended but Andy stayed on. He had strong ties to the community and became the fix it guy at Sandy Point for many years even after changing careers to become a firefighter. He served for decades as a volunteer first with the Langley Fire Department and then with District 3. The pager was always at his side so he could hop in his old truck and arrive on scene at a moment's notice. After passing rigorous admissions and training he was able to join the Kirkland Fire Department as a professional firefighter in 1986. He commuted to Kirkland from Whidbey for 30 some years and considered the Kirkland firefighters his other family.
A mutual friend introduced Andy and Laurie when realizing they both had family ties to Michigan. This evolved into romance and marriage. Together they enjoyed many years as Whidbey Islanders where Andy helped his wife Laurie change careers from nursing to Casey's Crafts proprietor. They were lucky enough to enjoy frequent trips to Michigan to visit family and other adventures around the globe.
On to the next adventure Andy. God Speed.