Obituary of Ronald O'Keefe

Ronald J. O'Keefe Cuba, NY Ronald J. O'Keefe of 93 S. Shore Rd., formerly of 216 N. 3rd St. Olean, died Wednesday (December 29, 2010) in Cuba Memorial Hospital. Born November 24, 1935 in Olean, NY he was the son of Thomas and Lura Wilcox O'Keefe. On June 7, 1958 at St. Mary of the Angels Church in Olean he married Penny Conley who survives. Mr. O'Keefe was a 1954 graduate of Olean High School and attended St. Bonaventure University. He later served with the US Army Reserve Guard from 1957 to 1964. He had been employed for 39 years for Dresser Rand Co. where he retired as a Master Planner in 1994. He was a lifelong resident of Olean and enjoyed spending summers at Cuba Lake since 1972. He had been a longtime communicant of St. Mary of the Angels Church and upon him and his wife making Cuba Lake their year round residence two years ago, became a member of Our Lady of Angels Church in Cuba. He was a member of the Olean Elk's Lodge #491 and was a past member of both the Olean American Legion Post #530 and the Olean Knight of Columbus Council #338. He was an avid Notre Dame fan, an avid hunter and was a founding member of the Mini Buck Lodge. Surviving besides his wife are one son Timothy (Melissa) O'Keefe of Cuba; one daughter Ronda O'Keefe of Olean; four grandchildren Rochelle Darling, Amanda Darling, Meghan O'Keefe and Lauren O'Keefe; one sister Mary Rothrock of Olean; two brothers Harold (Patricia) O'Keefe of Olean and James (Shirley) O'Keefe of Westwood, NJ and many loving nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a son Sean Michael O'Keefe, DDS on May 27, 1996; two brothers Francis Keefe and Thomas O'Keefe and three sisters Geraldine Keefe, Loretta Gorton and Ellen Steiger. Friends will be received at the Casey, Halwig & Hartle Funeral Home 3128 W. State Rd. Olean on Sunday from 2-4 & 7-9pm. Funeral services will be held Monday (January 3, 2011) beginning with a prayer service at 9:30am in the funeral home. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10:00am in St. Mary of the Angels Church. Rev. Gregory Dobson, pastor, will be the celebrant. Burial will be in St. Bonaventure Cemetery. Memorials may be made to St. Mary of the Angels Church Renovation Fund, Our Lady of Angels Church in Cuba or to a charity of the donor's choice.