Joyce Eileen Keeley
Malaga, Washington
December 24, 2007

After a painfully brave and dignified fight for her life, Joyce Keeley went to heaven to be with her son, Rick, on December 24, 2007. Joyce was the daughter of Emmitt and Estelle Brown. She was born on July 2, 1936, in Blockton, IA, where she grew up. As a young teenager, she worked as a soda jerk in the town's soda shop. At the age of 16, she fought the disease of polio, coming through with little to no permanent damage. Joyce graduated from high school and moved to Missouri after her mother moved to Wenatchee. She worked as a file clerk in Missouri until relocating to Wenatchee to live with her mother. On August 4, 1962, Joyce married the man of her dreams, Donald David Keeley. They had two children, Richard Edward Keeley, born July 10, 1963, and Cheryl Ann Keeley, born August 29, 1967. The family made their home in Bothell until 1975 when they left a very nice, but busy neighborhood, to live in The Colockum, a quaint, quiet, secluded place for the next 32 years. Joyce was hesitant, to say the least, about the move, but soon made it a home for herself and family. She worked in the fruit industry for many years; at Malaga Co-Op, Phillippi Fruit and retired from Stemilt Growers. Joyce also workded very hard at taking care of her husband and two children, and, in later years, her grandsons John Thomas Halvorson and Kevin Donald Halvorson. She was the devoted, loving grandmother who went to all of the boys' events. At the end, when she could not go to the events, Joyce would support them by wearing her Wenatchee Panther beanie cap.

Following retirement, Don and Joyce traveled. They went to Alaska, Panama and Mexico. In the wintertime, they would enjoy relatives for a month in Arizona. They traveled to many different areas of the United States, as well, with Iowa being one of their favorite, and last, places to vacation.

In November of 2006, what began as cancer in her femur, became lung cancer and metastasized to the bones. She went through several rounds of chemo and radiation, surgery on her leg, three surgeries in a month on her arm - all without complaint. Joyce kept her subborn, strong spirit, until literally her last day.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, Emmitt and Estelle Brown; her brother, Edward Emmitt Brown; and her beloved son, Richard Edward Keeley. She is survived by her husband of 45 years, Donald David Keeley; her daughter, Cheryl Ann Keeley (Rob Ullas) of Wenatchee; and her grandsons, John Thomas Halvorson and Kevin Donald Halvorson, both of Wenatchee.

There will be viewing at Jones & Jones~Betts Funeral Home, Thursday, December 27, from 1 to 7 p.m., and Friday, December 28, from 9 a.m. to noon. Funeral services will be held at Jones & Jones~Betts on Friday, December 29, at 1:00 p.m. with interment following at Wenatchee City Cemetery. Arrangements have been entrusted to Eldon Hawkins.