Martin John Keating Jr.

Born on March 5, 1936, in Englewood, New Jersey, to Martin John Keating Sr. and Kathe Johanna (Muck) Keating, Marty grew up in Teaneck and graduated from Teaneck High School in 1954. His yearbook described him as “quiet and unassuming,” with “a big heart and an outstanding willingness to help others.” His interest in cars was already evident during his high-school years. He went on to attend Newark College of Engineering, now New Jersey Institute of Technology.

On December 21, 1962, he married Kathleen Marie Irwin in New Milford, New Jersey. They bought their Park Ridge home in 1966, keeping it during a temporary stay in Wallingford, Connecticut, in the early 1970s while Kathleen attended Yale University. After returning to Park Ridge, they later settled in Clinton in 1990 and sold the Park Ridge house the following year. Clinton remained their home for many years before they moved to Livingston.

Marty worked as a packaging engineer at Universal Folding Box in Hoboken, followed by Continental Can and American Can. In the late 1970s, he returned to college, earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Ramapo College of New Jersey. He went on to spend many years in technical support at AT&T in Bedminster before retiring around 1998, at 62. Along the way, his easy manner turned colleagues into friends.

Music was a lifelong pleasure. He especially enjoyed classical music, ragtime, and folk music, both listening and playing for his own enjoyment. Over the years, he spent time at the piano and played the guitar, banjo, accordion, harmonica, and flute. Classical works and ragtime were particular favorites at the piano. In his later years, he especially enjoyed the recorder, flute, harmonica, and pan flute.

Marty also enjoyed local amateur motorsports, competing in his MG MGA in his younger years and later driving his Corvette in time trials and autocross events. His trophies spanned 1960 to 2001, including first place in the Super Stock class of the Northern New Jersey Region SCCA Autocross Series in 1999.

He also enjoyed mountain biking with friends. In 2010, at 74, he took part in New York City’s Five Boro Bike Tour on his recumbent bike.

He is survived by his wife, Kathleen; his son, Sean, and daughter-in-law, Jennifer; his grandchildren, Blake and Zoe; his brother, Alan, and sister-in-law, Gail; and his nephew, Michael. He was predeceased by his parents, Martin and Kathe