William Arthur O'Keefe

Fondly known as “Mr. Bill”, Daddy, The Big Dog, and numerous other terms of endearment and respect, Mr. O’Keefe leaves this world having delivered light and joy to all he encountered.

Born in Moberly, Missouri on December 1st of the year 1941 to parents Dorothy and William Sr., joining his older sister Mary Patricia, Bill flourished as a young baseball player and student. His love of his favorite team, the nearby St. Louis Cardinals, led him to his childhood hobby of collecting baseball cards (mostly for the bubble gum, of course). His aptitude in math and enjoyment of the Blues during his early years provided the basis for his career and his lifelong love of music, respectively.

Having attended the University of Notre Dame, but choosing to return closer to his home to continue his collegiate career at the University of Missouri, Bill pursued his degree in Business Administration, preparing to enter the world of finance. However, his love of Country led him to the United States Army, where he served bravely for three and a half years as a first Lieutenant, including a twelve-month deployment to Turkey.

After returning from overseas military service, he completed his degree at the University of Missouri. He then made the best decision of his life, courting and, somewhat shockingly given her radiance and grace, convincing Karen Lockwood to date him in 1968. In 1969, they wed in a spectacular ceremony in Karen’s hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Following Bill’s Honorable Discharge from the military, the newlyweds moved to the lower east side of New York City, both beginning their careers on Wall Street. Bill’s writing talents were put to work in his first job as a journalist, writing bond market columns for The American Banker.

He soon shifted his career from writing about the financial markets to serving clients doing business in the bonds markets, joining Chemical Bank. He helped build from scratch the firm’s fixed income corporate money management business, growing this service through his retirement in the 1990’s.

Bill and Karen departed New York City in 1972 for the New Jersey suburb of Ridgewood, where they started their family, welcoming sons Kevin and Stephen. With their beloved Soft-coated Wheaton Terrier, Rafferty Bannon O’Grady, and Bill’s daily train ride into The City for work, Ridgewood served as their home until 2004.

While Bill’s retirement years included a series of health challenges, his spirit, wit, intelligence and curiosity never faltered. Later in life, nothing brought more joy to Bill than spending time with his five grandchildren. Even though his eyesight had degraded, he maintained an unlimited appetite for conversation with his friends and family, with stories from his grandchildren truly satiating his soul.

With a marriage spanning over five and a half decades, Karen’s and Bill’s love storybook is a prolific tome, the tale of a true partnership bonded by deep mutual respect, unconditional and unwavering support, and fierce loyalty.

Bill’s life was built on the pillars of honesty, integrity, respect, humility, service and caring. He was a magnificent conversationalist, a voracious reader, and a principled leader of his family. His laugh filled rooms, and his kindness filled the hearts of all he met. And, in these days of discontent, he comported himself at all times honorably, always living by his Mother, Dorothy’s, words: “If you don’t have something nice to say about someone, do not say anything at all”.

Mr. O’Keefe is survived by his wife of 56 years, Karen L. O’Keefe, his sons and their spouses, Kevin and Meg O’Keefe, and Stephen and Heather O’Keefe, and his grandchildren Kate, Harper, Channing, Colin and Emerson.

The family will hold a private service on Sunday, January 18th of 2026 at the Winkenhofer Pine Ridge Funeral Home and Memorial Park, Kennesaw, Georgia.

Flowers may be ordered through Kennesaw Florist https://www.kennesawflorist.com/