Pat A. MacKeil

Pat Mac Keil, 88, passed away peacefully February 16, 2026, in the arms and hearts of her family.

Born October 4, 1937, in Brooklyn, Pat was a proud New Yorker who met and married a sailor while they were attending college, and after a few tours landed in Norfolk with their two boys in 1966.

For a little while she was a stay-at-home mom, believing that's where she could best meet the needs (and in one case those were special needs) of her sons. Then she became a preschool teacher and, eventually, began a lifelong passion and career of advocating for people with disabilities, touching the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, who couldn't advocate for themselves.

Along the way, she could be found at Hope House, at Eggleston Services, at the Community Services Board, The Association for Retarded Citizens, Camp Civitan, and for several decades now, the Therapeutic Recreation Center in Norfolk.

Even the Navy knew her as a trailblazer as an one of the earliest ombudsmen to a ship at sea, and, through a grant, the first ever advocate for dependents with developmental disabilities. She also, by the way, evacuated Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during the 1962 Missile Crisis when she was 8 months pregnant.

She had a quiet strength and never veered off track of standing up for what's right. She loved life, art, music and the pursuit of knowledge. And almost by osmosis, Pat handed these traits down to her children, because no matter what, family came first.

She was predeceased in 2016 by her husband and best friend of nearly 60 years, Donald L. Mac Keil. She is survived by her two sons, Brian and Sean, both of Norfolk.

Funeral services will be held Saturday Feb. 21, at 12pm. in the Norfolk Chapel of H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts.. Visitation Friday from 5 to 8pm at the funeral home and Saturday from 9am until service time.

Burial will be on Tuesday, February 24.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in her name to the Therapeutic Recreation Center Advisory Committee, 180 E. Evans St. Norfolk, VA 23503. Monies there will be used to continue her legacy of helping folks with other abilities.