Timothy J Keating

Tim was born on April 15, 1950, in Huron, South Dakota to Raycroft and Della (Davis) Keating. He was the third son, joining brothers Mike and Greg and was soon joined by siblings Randy, Marti, and Mary.

Tim and his siblings grew up on a farm southeast of Carpenter, SD, sharing the chores that farm life demanded. Tim raised chickens, loved helping his Mom with her large garden, and mastered tractor driving at a young age while helping his Dad with fieldwork. He was blessed to grow up surrounded by many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Tim attended Davenhill, a one-room schoolhouse located just a quarter of a mile from the Keating farm until it closed in 1961. He continued his schooling in Bancroft, SD graduating in 1968 with a class of 14, the last graduating class at Bancroft High School where he played fast pitch softball, ran cross country and track, and was a star on the basketball team.

After high school graduation, Tim attended South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD, where he joined the ROTC, graduating in December of 1972 with a degree in mathematics and as a 2nd lieutenant in the US Air Force. On December 22, 1972, he married fellow SDSU student Mary Ann Leiferman from Aurora, SD, beginning their 52-year love story.

Tim and Mary Ann lived in Lyons, SD briefly before moving to College Station, TX, where Tim attended the basic meteorology training program at Texas A&M University. From there they moved to Tucson, AZ in 1974 to work at Davis-Monthan Air Force base as a meteorologist. In the summer of 1977, they moved to West Germany where he was stationed with the Katterbach Army Installation and where their first son Travis was born in September of 1978. They loved Germany and enjoyed many traveling adventures while there, especially when family came to visit. They toured several European countries by car, camping along the way. Tim also earned a maser's degree in business administration while stationed in Germany through correspondence with Boston University.

In 1981 they moved to Fargo, ND where Tim taught ROTC as an assistant professor at North Dakota State University. While stationed there, their second son, Jared, was born in October 1981. In August 1983, triplet daughters Allison, Sarah, and Whitney were born three months prematurely. Allison passed away in September of 1983 after a month long stay in the NICU and is buried at St. William’s cemetery outside of Yale, SD where Tim attended church in his younger years. The family was happy and thankful when Sarah and Whitney were released from the NICU to come home in the winter of 1983. Later, when his sister-in-law Di Ann passed away in 1992, Tim and Mary Ann would step in to help raise, with the assistance of many relatives, their niece, Cana Little.

In August 1984, Tim and family moved to San Jose, CA for brief training as he entered the space operations career field. A move to Colorado Springs, CO followed in January 1986 where he worked at Falcon Air Force base as an original member of the satellite operations group, 2nd Space Wing Command. Tim continued to advance, earning a two-year assignment in Hawaii in 1990 as commander of the Kaena Point Satellite Tracking Station. The family eventually returned to their original Colorado Springs home, where Tim served as deputy commander of the 50th Space Operations before retiring as a Lt. Colonel with an impressive list of commendations at Peterson Air Force Base in 1995.

After leaving the Air Force, Tim started his second career as an investment representative and certified financial planner with Edward Jones, building a successful client base with his relentless work ethic that included going door-to-door and shaking hands in the early years, an Edward Jones tradition. With his humble attitude and common-sense investment philosophy, he earned the trust and respect of his clients during his 30-year Edward Jones career while also becoming an admired mentor to many other advisers with Edward Jones.

Tim loved gardening and caring for his lawn, a testament to his South Dakota roots and love for the land. He also donated time by serving as the Catholic Charities president in Colorado Springs for three years. Tim was a die-hard Minnesota Twins fan. He enjoyed attending games in his younger years, listening to games on the radio, and was overjoyed with their World Series titles in 1987 and 1991. Even in their losing seasons he never stopped rooting for the Twins. His life-long love affair with baseball was also the catalyst for him serving as commissioner of a fantasy baseball league now in its 34th season. Tim and Mary Ann enjoyed traveling, exploring six different continents over the course of several years during his time with Edward Jones.

But Tim was always a South Dakotan at heart. He made a point to return to his roots for graduations, weddings, and the many family reunions of both the Keatings and Leifermans, and stayed in contact with teachers, coaches and others who played important roles in his life.

Tim is survived by his wife, Mary Ann (Colorado Springs, CO), sons Travis (Aurora, CO) and Jared (Tucson, AZ), his two daughters, Sarah (Dave) Alvarez (Colorado Springs), Whitney (Jason) Nienhueser (Colorado Springs), his three grandchildren, Aurelia, Clementine and Augustine (Tucson), his niece Cana Little (Glenwood Springs, CO), his four brothers, Mike (Linda) (Iroquois, SD), Greg (Machelle) (Volga, SD), Randy (Penny) (Iroquois, SD), Marti (Aileen) (Huron, SD) and his sister Mary Authier (Bruce) Addleman (Prior Lake, MN), his sister in laws, Jo Ann (Ron) Sckerl (Brookings, SD), LaVon (Danny) Bessler (Elkton, SD), and the many nieces and nephews who loved him.

He is preceded in death by his parents Raycroft and Della Keating, his infant daughter, Allison, his infant sister, Bernadette, his mother and father-in-law Margaret and Loyd Leiferman, his sister-in-law, Di Ann Leiferman Little, his paternal grandparents, Edward and Estelle Keating, his maternal grandparents Michael and Ellen Davis. and his nephew, Shawn Authier.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Colorado Springs on July 21 at 10 AM, with a Rosary beginning at 9:15 AM. A lunch reception will follow the service.

A rosary will be held on July 25, 2025 at 10 am prior to the service at Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

A second memorial service will be held on July 25 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Huron, SD. Service at 10:30 AM, preceded with a Rosary at 10 AM. Following a lunch service, internment will be 2:00 PM at St. Williams Cemetery in Yale, SD.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, Catholic Charities, or St. Williams Cemetery in Yale, SD. (Please send check payable to St. Williams Cemetery, care of Charlotte Mulroy, 805 Prairie Oak Drive, Belle Plaine, MN 56011).