Susannah Gayle (Pierce) Keefe

Susannah Gayle Keefe of Arlington, Virginia, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 52 on August 4, 2026, leaving a profound and immeasurable sense of loss in the lives of all who knew and loved her. For to know Sue was to love her, with her brown sparkling eyes, radiant dimpled smile and warm generous hugs. Beloved wife of John Patrick Keefe, Jr. and devoted mother of Connor John Keefe and Brady Pierce Keefe, her boys were her life. She was their best friend and biggest cheerleader, relishing any opportunity to support them.

The youngest daughter of Boston impresario Walter Pierce, Susannah was born on May 18, 1974 in Quincy, Massachusetts, into a home that celebrated the arts. Walter produced events with top artists like Alvin Ailey (Firebird was Sue’s favorite!) and YoYo Ma, and Susannah drank in the power of music and movement. As a child, she studied and danced with the Boston Ballet, especially enjoying her role as the Nutcracker’s bunny.

From her mother Betty Ann, Susannah inherited a gentle spirit and a love of travel. In London, when asked where she was from, Sue proudly answered “Hingham!” as if everyone would know her small town on Boston’s South Shore. Always one to broaden her horizons, it was then that she learned of the existence of Hingham, England. However, 18 Bucket Mill Lane in Hingham, Massachusetts, was her happy home for the first 18 years of her life, and with a birthday of May 18th, 18 was always her power number.

In addition to her boundless energy, Sue’s imagination knew no limits. Some days, she would skate with her imaginary friend Deborah on Bucket Mill Pond (unintentionally fanning up jealousy on the part of her best friend Jessica), or on other days she would simply lie on her family room floor listening to records only to jump up and compose piano concertos and dance routines. As a voracious reader, Sue was often the smartest kid in the room, and more than one classmate gave a quiet sigh of relief for their class rank when Sue transferred from Hingham High to Phillips Academy Andover her Junior year, following in her older sister Melinda’s footsteps. She thrived there as well.

Georgetown was her next stop, where she forged lifelong friendships and graduated cum laude with a BA in Fine Arts and American Government in 1996. Probably more important than her stellar academics was that first date she had on her 21st birthday at the end of her Junior year. This cute guy John from across the street had finally asked her out for delicious pizza in Friendship Heights. (When offered food, Sue would often ask, “Yes, but is it delicious?”). Not only was the pizza delicious, but the friendship reached new heights, and “Johnny” became the love of her life. Sue loved her birthdays, but that was the best birthday gift she ever received. John shared Sue’s love of music, and over the years, they built a soundtrack of favorite songs for nearly every milestone and memory.

After graduation, Sue cut short a bike trip from Vancouver to San Diego (bowing out around Marin County), claiming she just couldn’t wait to be with John (or maybe she was tired of biking by then?). But it was probably all John, and soon after, they moved out to Los Angeles together, experiencing a multitude of adventures and falling further in love. John and Sue married in Alexandria, Virginia, with a reception at George Washington’s River Farm on May 27, 2000. The happy couple later moved to Arlington, where they settled down to start a family.

With her gift to make you feel like you were the only one in the room, Sue’s exuberant love for people was legendary. In college, she earned the nickname “Sueshine” because being in the warmth of Sue’s presence was like basking in the sun. From Hingham, to Andover, to Georgetown, to Los Angeles, to Arlington, to LL Bean, to Go Bananas Dancing, Sue cultivated friendships and created community. Her genuine love for bringing joy to others lit up whatever room Sue entered. And there was always room for more in Sue’s life: more friends, more fun, more memories.

Susannah’s greatest accomplishment and biggest joy were her two boys, Connor and Brady. They were her everything, and her pride in them knew no limits. She created a house where all their friends wanted to come. She would keep a bag of sports equipment in her car, so she and John could play ball with the boys no matter where they were. She fostered their passion for academics and athletics while instilling in them the importance of civic engagement, leadership and kindness. They were her heartbeat.

And of course one might say that if Susannah had a third child, it would be Go Bananas Dancing, which she founded in 2009. Implementing her belief that dance sparks joy, Susannah envisioned a fun dance program that would integrate the body, mind and spirit by teaching ballet, tap, hip hop and jazz to young children. The program, offered through Arlington County Dept. of Parks & Rec and conducted by her incredible beloved instructors, reflects the very essence of Sue as it is a place of creativity, fun, joy and dance; always dance.

All the while, Sue continued to pursue her own dancing, including with Jane Franklin Dance’s 40+ Project and with the COVID-era pod, the “Rona Belles,” where she earned the nickname “Banana Belle.”

If one could say Susannah had a fourth child, it would be the family’s rescue dog Piper (“Pipies”), who absolutely adored her master Sue, even jumping for joy when she saw her.

Words cannot express how much Susannah will be missed and how grateful her family and friends are for the time they had with her. Along with her beloved John, Connor and Brady, Sue leaves behind her sister Melinda Pierce (Jamie Woodwell) and nephews Riley and Elliot, stepmother Margaret Ulmer, Uncle Tony Saras (predeceased by Aunt Tess Saras), Aunt Linda Wilson, cousins Tracy, Michael and Chris Saras, Stephanie, Jake and Pauline Young, mother-in-law Beatrice Keefe (husband Robert Murphy), sisters-in-law Allison Keefe (daughter Ashley), Catherine Hodgkins (son Scotty), Patricia Abarno (husband John), Mary Keefe, and friends & colleagues. Sue was predeceased by her father Walter Pierce, her mother Betty Ann Pierce and her father-in-law Dr. John Keefe.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in honor of Susannah Gayle Keefe may be made through the GoFundMe established in her memory at GoFundMe.com/f/honoring-susannahs-legacy All contributions will go toward an education fund for her boys.

Link to funeral service livestream will be available below.