Mark James Keegan

In Monroe, Wisconsin, on July 30th, 1933, Charles Keegan ran out from the farmhouse and announced to their children, that their mother, Cecelia Keegan (Collentine), had just “gave birth to their baby brother!”, Mark James Keegan. Mark James Keegan was literally born on a kitchen table of that farmhouse. Mark’s closest sibling by age was 8 years. By the time Mark was 12 years old, his sister had moved out starting a new family of her own, one brother was currently a captive as a POW of WWII in North Africa, and his other brother was being drafted to WWII. Mark was left to help his father and mother tend to the farm’s needs every day before he was a teenager.

Mark tended to the farm before school on weekdays, walked to the schoolhouse, sometimes carrying jugs of fresh milk to drop off at the cheesemaker’s building on his way to school, walked home, worked the farm more, and did it all over again. Day by day. Mark was feeding cattle, hogs, chickens, milking cattle, driving trackers, driving cars, and driving his father from the “town” market on weekends (funny story) before he was a teenager. Mark contracted Rheumatic Fever when he was 15 (which is the reason he had a full head of grey hair in his 20’s) and missed most of that high school year, but through great faith and fortitude he successfully regained his health and worked hard to pass that year of school by years end. Shortly after that, Mark’s father, Charles, passed away when Mark was 16. That left him and his mother, Cecelia, left to work the farm alone.

Mark was also a typical teenager, going to high school in Madison, Wisconsin, racing through cemeteries (maybe the “cemeteries” part is not so typical for today’s times), still working his farm needs, and trying his best to “woo” the girls at school, while staying out of trouble with the Sisters/Nuns of Edgewood Catholic High School from his pranks, jokes, and making the class laugh. He loved being a part of the choir in high school and at the Holy Mother Of Consolation Catholic Church.

After graduating high school and right after his 18th birthday, Mark was drafted by the Army to the Korean War and spent most of his military time in Germany. The stories of trains and airplanes he traveled-in and the services he performed for his country, and others, always made him smile. At this time, a young lady, two years younger than Mark, was given an opportunity write letters to soldiers’ over-seas. Nancy saw Mark’s name and remembered him from high school. She quoted to some of us saying, “I had my “eye” on him in high school” (with a wink and a smile after she said it). When Mark returned from the Korean War, he took Nancy to Holy Mother Of Consolation Catholic Church to have her listen to him sing. He knew what he was doing, and she was smitten. They began to “court” (is a word they used often when talking of their dating days). On September 10, 1960, Mark and Nancy were married, and by the end of 1974, they had 6 children born.

As a Father: Mark knew what his job was as a father, and he took it seriously. His actions spoke louder than words. Mark, at the very least, always kept a roof over our head, food in our bellies, faith in our soul, and laughter in our spirit. The ups-and-downs of life never changed his daily attitude. He never was a person who woke up in a bad mood already. Each day was new, and he treated it that way. “One day at a time”, he would say. No matter the situation, the phrase always seemed to mean to us the same thing and would always make sense, especially when one of his kids were facing an obstacle. Get up, get to work (school was a kids work), keep pushing forward for that day no matter what, don’t waste time on worry, make sure you laugh, pray, eat, sleep, and have faith that the rest will take care of itself. If there was ever a human version of the “prayer for serenity”, it was our father. Mark found a path working in the auto industry early in his fatherhood and continued that most of his life as his main career. Let’s not forget about those second jobs at whatever gas station or drugstore he could find open-for-business after the auto shops closed-for-business that day (gotta feed all those hungry mouths). He was strict. There were rules that just were not allowed to be broken. If the rule was broken, you better be ready for a twist of an ear or a belt (or hot-wheels track) to your butt. He wasn’t much into raising his hand, but those two he seemed really comfortable with…lol. He never held a grudge. Once the “punishment of the crime” was done, it was time to move on and eat dinner at the table together (which coincidentally was one of the rules). Church on Sunday was never missed, even if it was snowing so hard you had to shovel your way out of the driveway and back in. Mark took us on both short and long camping vacations, driving cross-country on multiple occasions. He let us have pets and animals and somehow every one of those things ended up seeming to love him more than the “owner” itself. Mark was fun, focused, and faithful as a father. He was hard working. He was responsible. He was smart. He was funny and witty. He was educational. He was unwavering yet forgiving. He was loving. He was caring. He was our father. We are his children. And he will always be loved for what he gave to us.

As a Husband: Only one person, for over 61 years, can answer that question, but she is waiting in heaven to hold his hand again. Mark was cut from a different cloth than anyone we’ve ever seen and hopefully some of the stories from his younger years can explain that. Not big in size, but if the size of a man was measured in fortitude, he was a giant. Never bitched or complained (other than your standard grumpy ole man attitude as he aged, but that was funny to us because he was not known as a complainer). What we can say is we witnessed a man who walked the walk. He would do anything for his Nancy, and she would do anything for him. As much as our mother loved us children, she fought more for that man, and that fight got stronger each day they were together. And we get it. Our mother loved all of us very much and worked hard as a stay-at-home mom to raise us “heathens” as we would be referred to sometimes. We were not easy kids to raise. But if by the love and desire to fight for that man was so overwhelming to raise us “heathens”, we can only assume from the quality of his fatherhood stories, he was also the perfect husband for her. He told us a story that on the day he married our mom, he vowed to her that he would never “fight” with her because he already has seen all the fighting he will ever need to see in his life. And we watched him walk that walk. We know he would want the “no fighting” theory to live on through his children, and his children’s children, and so-on and so-on. He was a family man for sure and did everything he could to mend fences and keep his family together. He loved her very much and honored his word to her his whole life with her. We already know what he was like as a father, but it’s hard to tell if he was doing all that for us, or if he was doing all that to make his Lula-Bell safe and happy.

Mark loved his God, his Lula-Bell, his kids (and their kids, and their kid’s-kids), his pets, and here are just a few more items that come to mind: GMC/Chevy over any other car manufacturer (and the good Lord would hear about it if any other type of car won a Nascar race); Corn on the cob (most any vegetable, even those gross beats); Peanut butter; Creating “Mark’s Auto Body” with Bri-Bri; Black coffee over alcohol (but still enjoyed a Michelob, a margarita/daiquiri, or a glass of sweet red wine); Butter (this man would put just butter on a cracker and love it); Colorful language (especially in a joke); Nancy’s baking, donuts, dark cherry chocolates, raisin pie, and cookies (oh hell most any sweet to be honest); Picking up Little Mark from school; Reading books, magazines, and news-papers most his life (which that turned in to Fox-news on TV all day once he lost his eye-sight); Fish; Snoring (he loved to snore so loud with his mouth wide open…”sawing wood”); Polka-Dancing; Having a full head of hair his whole life; Driving (anywhere and everywhere); Getting up early every morning; Elvis; Well-intended and well-placed sarcasm; Talking to strangers in line at any store; Gardening (after the farming days ended); The phrase “ouch” or “son-of-a-bitch” (they usually complemented each other in the same sentence); He loved every Sunday, as a day, just in general because it was the day where he would usually do the following: Church, Donuts/Coffee, Football/Nascar/Professional Wrestling, takin-naps, eating dinner with his family, then as many naps and sports as possible (and mostly in that order on a Sunday…lol).

Mark James Keegan passed away in his home, at 90 years of age, peacefully with his family by his side in the evening of 01/20/2024, in Merritt Island, FL. We miss you dearly every day and thank you for every opportunity you gave us to be loved, taught, and protected by you.

Mark is survived by his forever-loved children Lisa Keegan-Dolan (fiancé Michael Samons), Patrick (Carrie) Keegan, Sean Keegan, Timothy (Vanessa) Keegan, Brian Keegan, and Kelly Keegan.

His legacy of grandchildren: Timmy Keegan Jr., Rachael Dolan, Breanne Keegan, Michael Dolan, Sabrina Keegan, Tanner Samons, and Mark Johnathan Keegan (Little Mark); His Great grandchildren: Mya Ester Winkelman, Skyler Alexandria Rose Gomes, Rayden Mikael Anthony Leo; Additionally survived by: David Dolan (father to grandchildren and friend to all), three loving pets (Jasper, Shiloh, and Tonka) and many nieces, nephews and cousins, with or without personal relationships as time passed, that are still honored, respected and loved.

Pre-deceased and now eating at the supper table in heaven by: His wife Nancy Keegan; His parents Charles and Cecelia Keegan (Collentine), his sister Margarette Roth (Keegan), his brothers Donald Keegan and Wayne Keegan; His grandchild Christopher Dolan; Two service dogs Gabriel Keegan and Yehanaton Keegan; And all remaining decedents he has memories of, to lengthy to name, but who are all now definitely sharing stories and colorful worded jokes/laughs while resting on the hands of God in that joyful land of Heaven they all share now together, looking upon us as angels and protectors, as we down here on earth wait for our chance to eat at that table all together again.

Celebration of life and viewing will start at 9:45am, with a funeral mass starting at 10:30am on Thursday, February 29th, 2024, at Divine Mercy Catholic Church, 1940 N Courtenay Pkwy, Merritt Island, FL 32953.

Flowers and donations are not needed. In lieu of either, Mark would prefer you go to a church on this Sunday, or any Sunday of your choosing (especially if you haven’t recently), and then watch some sports, take a nap, spend time with family, and continue to provide to you and your families laughs and protection.

For friends/family unable to attend, the funeral service will be live streamed at divinemercychurch.org where you will find a link for live streaming halfway down on the front page of the website. The eulogy, with celebration of life, before the mass, will be uploaded shortly after the live-stream.

Directly after the mass service, we will travel to Cape Canaveral National Cemetery, 5525 US-1 S, Mims, FL 32754, where there will be a short 15-minute military and catholic prayer ceremony under a covered pavilion prior to the vessel that contained his loving soul is sent to its final resting spot.