Cecile Marie Keefe

Cecile Marie Keefe, of East Hartford, passed away peacefully on December 28, 2020. She was born in Lawrence, MA on March 16, 1928 to Adelard and Salvatora (Librizzo) Arsenault, and had been a resident of East Hartford for 60 years. She was a graduate of Lawrence High School Class of 1946 and graduated from the McIntosh School in 1947. In 1950, Cecile married Bernard Keefe. They soon moved to Connecticut, but she never lost her Boston accent. Cecile was a devoted wife and mother, who took pride in caring for her family. After Bernard suffered a stroke, Cecile took on the role of caregiver, and eventually breadwinner, when at age 50, she brushed up on her typing skills and entered the job market for the first time to help support the family. She worked at the State of Connecticut until her retirement, where she was known as the fashionista of the office. Throughout her life, Cecile was an avid reader, reading to her children when they were young so that they enjoyed reading from a young age. After Bernard’s death in 1988, Cecile became more independent, getting her driver’s license at age 60, although driving with her was a white-knuckle experience. Cecile loved spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She enjoyed playing cards, visits to the casino, eating lunch out on Sundays and loved to dress up and go dancing. As the matriarch of the Keefe family, all celebrations were at her house, where the whole family gathered for birthdays and holidays. Cecile is survived by her children, James, of East Hartford, Shawn and wife Sandy, of Bristol, and Patricia, of Broad Brook; her grandchildren, Erica Keefe, of Newington, Megan Stine and her husband Adam, of Silver Spring, Maryland, Lindsey Keefe and her husband, Rob Shelton, of Wallingford, Daniel Keefe, of Bristol, Courtney Durette and her husband, Nathan, of Riverside, RI and Stacey Kean and her husband Dave, of Southbury; and six great-grandchildren, Tyler Brooks, Vincenzo Di Cicco, Sam and Celia Shelton, Gabe Durette and Natalie Kean. Services will be private, at the convenience of the family. Arrangements are being handled by BJ Callahan Funeral Home 318 Burnside Ave. East Hartford CT. 06108.To sign the online guestbook go to www.CallahanFuneral.com In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Cecile’s name may be made to the Connecticut Humane Society.