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Marlene Keyes Obituary
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Marlene dedicated over four decades of her life to education as a passionate and nurturing school teacher. She played a pivotal role in shaping young minds, most notably by starting the kindergarten program at Saint Cecilia, where she taught for over 25 years. Her legacy as an educator continues to live on in the countless students she guided with care and creativity.
Beyond the classroom, Marlene was a gifted artist whose talent was evident in the beautiful liturgical banners she designed and crafted for churches throughout the city. Her artistic spirit and devotion to her faith touched many, and her work will remain a meaningful part of the community for years to come.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Richard Keyes; sister, Carolyn; and parents, Ralph Droll and Cecilia Saxer.
Marlene is survived by her loving family: sons, Rick (Jennifer) Keyes and Matt (Nina) Keyes, William Crimi; grandchildren, Elizabeth (Luke) Ens, Patrick (McKenna) Keyes, Kaitlyn (Joshua) Gantz, and Matthew (Candace Clark) Keyes; great-grandchildren, James and Mary Claire Ens. She is also survived by her sister, Joyce Foliano; brother, Ron (Ruth) Droll; cherished goddaughter, Raschele Foliano, niece Kristy Martin; and many other relatives and dear friends who will miss her deeply.
Friends may call JERRY SPEARS FUNERAL HOME of HILLIARD, 5471 Frazell Rd., Monday, May 5, 2025 from 4-7 PM. Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at 10 AM at Saint Cecilia Catholic Church, 434 Norton Rd. Entombment Sunset Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers please make a donation to St. Cecilia School in memory of Marlene Keyes.
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5 Entries
Lucy Balivia-Simmons
April 21, 2025
Matt, Nina, Maitlyn, and Matthew,
I am so very sorry for the loss of your wonderful mother. As your cousin and the mother of a St. Cecilia student who has benefited from the incredible program your mother started, I want to share how proud Camellia is to be a part of it. She often points to the beautiful tapestries and other work and proudly says, "The person who did that is part of my family."
Please know that my thoughts and love are with you all during this incredibly difficult time. We are truly blessed to have had her influence in our lives.
With all my love,
Lucy, Matt, Camellia, Mickey, Katelyn, Iria and Uncle Jerry
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Tony & Jaymi Stout
April 14, 2025
Jaymi and I, Tony Stout, considered Marlene (and Dick) dear friends. There is not enough room here to enumerate the many ways she touched our lives and the lives of our children, Bina and Ben, whom she had in her kindergarten class (now in their 30s). I will tell one story that touched my heart deeply. If anyone is familiar with the St. Cecilia pre-school you are aware of the beautiful murals Marlene painted on the walls of her class room and the playground area outside the pre-school rooms. The playground walls make one feel like they are in the middle of a forest/jungle. I mentioned to her one day that it lacked one thing, a bald eagle. Eagles are a favorite of mine. A couple of weeks later she asked me to meet her in the playground area. She had added a couple of bald eagles in flight as well as a nest with chicks in the rocky cliffs that had already been painted there. That was Marlene! I will cherish that gracious and loving gesture for the rest of my life. (Sadly, you won´t find them there now though. For some reason the eagles, just the eagles, were painted over a few years ago.)
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5471 Frazell Rd, Hilliard, OH 43026
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