Daniel Joseph Keating's Obituary
Daniel J. Keating of Cape Coral, Florida and formerly of Quincy, Massachusetts passed away peacefully on December 5, 2015 while enjoying a cruise on the Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas. He was 78 years old.Dan was born on June 30, 1937, the proud son of Gertrude (Sharkey) and Daniel J. Keating Sr. He was a 1955 graduate of North Quincy High School and was a veteran of the United States Army having served in Germany as a member of the Army of Occupation. After his military service he returned to the United States and was employed for several years at Boston Gear Works before beginning his career as a Letter Carrier for the United States Postal Service. He retired in 1992. He was a Past Lodge Secretary and Past Exalted Ruler (2001-02) for the Quincy Lodge of Elks # 943 and was later a Life Member at the Cape Coral Elks # 2596. He was also a proud member of the Cape Coral Eagles and American Legion.On New Year’s Eve in 1966, on a blind date, he met the love of his life Patricia (Driscoll) and the couple embarked on a romance that would withstand the challenges of life and time. The happy couple married on April 20, 1968 and gave birth to daughter Janice in 1969 and son Danny in 1972. Family was the utmost importance in Dan’s life and that love showed in everything he did, including the name of his boat, “The 4 K’s.”Anybody who knew Dan would say he was one of the strongest, yet most humble, sincere and generous persons one could ever meet. He carried himself with candor and grace that all could appreciate and few could imitate. Never was this more apparent then when he unexpectedly lost his love Patti to pancreatic cancer in 2007.He is survived by his daughter Janice Kovacs and her husband (Sandor); his son Danny and by his beloved grandchildren Ryan, Christopher and Allarie. He also leaves behind a multitude of positive acquaintances and many more good people who were proud to call Dan their friend. The family wants to especially thank Helen and Joe Bourne for being such wonderful friends to Dan and for the many ways they added happiness and meaning to his life when he needed it most.A Catholic Memorial Service for Dan with Military Honors will be celebrated by Deacon Anthony F. DiLorenzo at 12:00 Noon on Saturday, December 12, 2015 inside the Chapel at Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 1589 Colonial Boulevard, Fort Myers, Florida 33907, (239) 936-0555. Friends will be received at the funeral home chapel for visitation beginning two hours prior to the service at 10:00 AM. A Reception and Celebration of Dan’s Life will take place later the same day from 2:00 – 5:00 PM at the Cape Coral Eagles, # 3957, 4647 SE 9th Place, Cape Coral, Florida 33904, (239) 549-8477. All his friends are encouraged to stop by to enjoy some good company, good food, good music and especially to make good on his promise of buying the last round.In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that you instead consider a donation in Patti and Dan’s memory to the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, P.O. Box 1848, Longmont, CO 80502, www.npcf.us/donate, (800) 859-6723.Those who would like to leave a tribute or share a story about Dan should visit his memorial webpage at www.fortmyersmemorial.com where they can sign his guestbook and also offer condolences to the family.
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