Gerald Walter Keeney Sr.

Jerry was born on October 27, 1931 in Lake Worth, Florida the son of the late Floyd Ashland and Lucille Williams Keeney. He grew up in Ashland, Kentucky, the oldest of four children, where he attended Ashland High and helped his father after school with the family business, Keeney’s Restaurant and Meat Market.

During high school, his family relocated to Orlando, Florida where he attended Orlando High and played center for the Orlando High School Tigers football team. After graduation Jerry enlisted in the Army where he served as corporal, stationed in Austria at the time of the Korean war. While serving, he enjoyed umpiring military baseball games. Upon return home, he attended Florida State University where he was a member of Lamda Chi Alpha fraternity and earned his Bachelors degree in Business. He moved to New York City after college working in the corporate offices of JCPenney. It was in New York where he met his Canadian sweetheart, Rose, in the laundry room of their apartment building. They were married in Preston, Ontario, Canada in the summer of 1962 and moved to Orlando where he assumed a management position with Jordan Marsh stores, for whom he worked for over thirty years. In the late ’60s Gerry, Rose, and their two children moved to Hollywood, Florida where they lived and raised their family. Gerry was active in his children’s endeavors and coached his son’s baseball team at Rotary Park. He was a longtime parishioner and former board member of Hollywood Hills United Methodist Church. He was an alumnus and lifelong fan of his Florida State Seminoles and rooted them on in all sports. He and Rose were ticket holders for the Florida Marlins and loved attending games together. Gerry was an incredibly generous, loyal, loving, and outgoing friend, neighbor, father and husband. He bravely battled Parkinson’s Disease in his later years, never complaining. His quick smile, wit and warmth are greatly missed, but we know we will be with him again one day.

Gerald was survived by his wife, Rose (Parghamian) Keeney, children, Anne Keeney Madsen and Gerald (Jay) Walter Keeney, Jr. (Caroline) and grandchildren, Sooltan Rose and Jack Douglas Madsen, and Hayden James and Ava Caroline Keeney. He was preceded in death by his parents and younger siblings, Donald Keeney, Janet Krottnauer, and Eloise Cope.

A memorial service celebrating his life along with his wife, Rose, will be held Thursday, December 17 at 11 a.m. at Hollywood Hills United Methodist Church in Hollywood, Florida. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hollywood Hills United Methodist Church or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.