Robert Terrence “Terry” O’Keeffe of Pearl River, NY passed away peacefully on Feb. 5, 2020 at the age of 75. He was born in Baltimore, MD on November 19, 1944 to John and Margaret (Sullivan) O’Keeffe. Terry graduated from St. Mark’s grammar school in Catonsville MD, moving onto and graduating from Mt. St. Joseph HS in Baltimore. He then attended and ran track at Princeton University, class of 1966. He served in the military for three years; in Vietnam from ‘68-69, working in U.S. Army intelligence. He returned to Princeton and graduated with a degree in Art History in 1971. After graduate studies in anthropology at Rutgers University, he worked as a research scientist at the Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in Orangeburg NY, until his retirement in 2009. Terry was involved as a volunteer with Orangetown Little League baseball. He was also an avid reader, classical music enthusiast, and later a writer.
Terry is survived by his loving family including his wife of 49 years, Joanne (Bonsall); his daughter, Catherine A. (Molly) Purvis and her husband, William; his two sons, Timothy J. and Michael T.; his brother, Timothy O’Keeffe and his wife, Wanda, and nephew Nathaniel O’Keeffe.
Visitation will be on Sunday Feb. 9th from 4-7pm, at Wyman-Fisher Funeral Home Inc., 100 Franklin Ave., Pearl River. Funeral mass will be held Monday Feb. 10th at 11am at St. Margaret of Antioch Church, 115 W. Central Ave. Pearl River, NY 10965.
In lieu of flowers, donations to honor Terry’s memory can be made to: The Little Sisters of the Poor, 601 Maiden Choice Lane, Catonsville, MD 21228, the Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, in memory of Terry O’Keeffe, to support psychiatric research. Please send your donation to NKI at 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, New York, 10962 (Attn: Director's Office).
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