David M. Keay

WORCESTER - David Keay passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at the Rose Monahan Hospice House. He is survived by sons Jeffrey and wife Patricia; Darrell and wife Margaret; grandsons Barclay, Brad, Scot, Brian, and Kevin; great grandchildren Miles, Natalie, and Crew; and nieces Penny, Deborah, and Becki. He was predeceased by his brother Don, sister Nancy, son Garrett, and wife Priscilla.
David was born in Brockton, the son of Alexander and Jenni Keay. He graduated from Brockton High School, received his bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering from Norwich Academy and his masters from MIT. During World War II David served in the Army and then transferred to the Coast Guard Academy as a cadet. He married his teenage sweetheart Priscilla on June 29, 1947. They lived in the married dorms of Norwich Academy and then MIT before moving to Needham where they raised their family. He worked his entire career in the patent division of GTE Sylvania.
David earned his Boy Scout Eagle Badge when he was 17 and then continued to stay active in scouts until he retired. He served as scout master of Troop 2 in Needham, and then as their advancement chair until 1988. He received the Silver Beaver Award which is the highest honor given to adult scouting volunteers.
Summers were spent at an extended-family cottage in Boothbay Maine. David was the experienced seaman and, by default, the captain of the family's 30-foot converted lobster boat. Time on the boat was spent cruising along the coast, picnicking on islands, and fishing. Even though David was not a fisherman he never complained, enjoying the chance to rest and chat.
He and Priscilla loved the outdoors: hiking, camping, canoeing, and birding. They passed on that love of the natural world to their sons.
Priscilla and David bought a vacation home in Sunapee, New Hampshire in 1974, where they moved permanently after David retired in 1988. The Sunapee home became the family homestead where Christmas and Thanksgiving were always celebrated, and was an active beehive of activity with family and friends constantly coming and going. Winters were spent in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where his son Darrell and his wife also rented for the winter.
After retiring David and Priscilla did a great deal of traveling. Foreign travel included visits to almost all of western Europe and to Poland; a safari through Kenya and Tanzania, and an adventurous trip to the Galapagos and Ecuador. They also purchased a RoadTrek and traveled extensively through Canada and the United States, including Alaska.
David will be remembered for his kindness, humor, intelligence, and absolute devotion to Priscilla, his wife of nearly 73 years, whom he visited every day when she was in a nursing home. He is an example of a long life lived well. He will be sorely missed.
A memorial service is being planned for a future date.
To share a memory or offer an online condolence please visit his "Tribute Wall" on this page.