Joseph J Keefe

Joseph J. Keefe, 91, passed away peacefully with his wife and daughter by his side, on August 14, 2024 in Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, New London. Joe was born in Hartford, son of the late Dr. George and Amy (Casey) Keefe. He leaves his wife Marilyn (O'Connor) Keefe of Old Lyme, his daughter Judith, his son Michael, his wife Marsha and their children Dr. Megan Keefe, Edward Keefe and his wife Katherine and their daughter Emilia and Eric Keefe. Joseph also leaves his brother Dr. William Keefe and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister Amy Marie Randall and brother George Keefe.
Joseph spent his earliest years in the Parkville, Sisson Avenue area of Hartford, attending Our Lady of Sorrows School. He had fond memories of his early youth and of the many Sunday afternoons spent traveling with Mom and Dad and his older siblings to Keefe Street in Waterbury, where his father, Doctor George and Joe's brothers and brother-in-law would meet at sister Mary's home to engage in spirited games of setback.
After high school at St. Thomas Seminary, where Joe met many life-long friends, he attended the College of the Holy Cross. Relatives having been prior Holy Cross graduates were his dad, Dr. George (Class of 1918), uncles Monsignor William Casey, and Walter Keefe, brother William, son Michael, cousin Raymond Keefe and many other relatives, most recently grandnephew Austin Keefe. Joseph graduated from UConn Law School in 1958. After law school and admission to the Bar, he was grateful to have worked for two fine men during the first two decades of his career; first as an Assistant Clerk under Dominic A. DiCorleto, the Clerk of the Supreme Court and of the Superior Court of Hartford, and next in 1967 as Executive Secretary of the Judicial Department under Supreme Court Justice John P. Cotter, the first Chief Court Administrator. Joseph was devoted to the realization of Justice Cotter's goals of eliminating court delay in deciding cases, enforcing fairness is case adjudication (mainly moving judges from place to place, to eliminate judicial fiefdoms, and rotating their assignments) and by optimizing the basic business operations of the courts at the least possible costs.
Joseph's life and activities were completely intertwined with those of his wife Marilyn. They married in 1957, the end of Joe's second year in law school. They loved skiing in the back hills of Weston, VT. Among the colors of beautiful green evergreens, pristine white snow and cold blue skies; cycling in the hills of Block Island and the back roads of Old Lyme, and enjoying each other and friends before an open hearth in Weston. Joe loved playing basketball and catching bluefish aboard brother Bill's boat, the Hoya, and with the guys at work on the Anna R. Joe loved Marilyn completely- she kept his life interesting, unpredictable, and so much better than it would have been without her.
A Mass of Christian Burial celebrating Joe's life will take on Monday August 19, 2024 at 11:00 am in Christ the King Church, 1 McCurdy Road, Old Lyme, CT. Friends may visit from 10:00 – 10:45 in the church prior to Mass. Burial will in Duck River Cemetery, Old Lyme. The Farley-Sullivan Funeral Home has care of the arrangements. To extend condolences, please visit Farleysullivan.com.
In lieu of flowers, donation may be made to the College of the Holy Cross, 1 College Street, Worcester, MA 01610, Saint John School, 42 Maynard Street, Old Saybrook, CT. 06475, or the Salvation Army. Joseph requests that you pray for the repose of his soul and the forgiveness of his sins.
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