Obituary
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Shirley Mary (Diemert) Keeley, beloved wife of Daniel Keeley, in the early hours of Sunday, January 9, 2022 at the age of 83. Shirley was born in Cereal, Alberta on July 2, 1938. She was the fourth of nine children of Alexander and Annie Diemert, and raised on the family homestead near Oyen, Alberta. In 1944, the family moved to Drumheller, and later Calgary, Alberta. She remained close to her eight siblings throughout her life.
Shirley and Daniel Keeley were married on June 28, 1958, in Calgary. They raised four children and were attached at the hip for 63 years. Shirley and Dan spent most of their time in Calgary but also made homes in Kelowna, BC, Mesquite, AZ and Langley, BC. Shirley was a devout Catholic, she became closer to her faith during the pandemic; praying the Rosary daily. She found joy in reading to her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She enjoyed cooking and hosting for her large extended family and she loved to travel, seeking out the sunnier climates of North America. Shirley will be remembered by her loved ones for her blueberry muffins and mini doughnuts, her elegant style, and most of all her kind and caring nature. We are so sad you have left us, you will be forever missed.
She will be greatly missed by her four children; Christine (Ben) Close, Ward (Lily) Keeley, Deborah (Patrick) Donnachie, and David Keeley, her nine grandchildren; Tara (Caleb) Nienkirchen, Natalie (Jared) Fehr, Matthew (Michelle) Donnachie, Mark Close, Sarah (Taylor) Shaw, Luke (Genis) Donnachie, Daniel Donnachie, Ryan Keeley, Shane Keeley, and her nine great grandchildren; Fintan, Timan, Isla, and Rosalind Fehr, Aiden and Paisley Shaw, Poppy and Lachlan Donnachie, and baby Donnachie coming May 2022. Shirley will also be missed by her sisters Ruth Kon, Nora Oel, Donna Colwell, Geraldine (Bo) Olsson, Sheila (David) Cronkhite, and her brother Joe (Carol) Diemert. She was predeceased by her parents Alex and Annie, and her sisters Theresa and Margaret.
Prayers will be held on Sunday, January 16, 2022 at 7:30pm and the Funeral Mass will be held Monday, January 17, 2022 at 1:00pm at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, attendance is by invitation only due to Covid-19 restrictions. The funeral will be livestreamed for those unable to join us in person.
st-peters.ca/private-event/
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation of life: please donate blood to Canadian Blood Services. If you are unable to give blood, a donation memorial has been created in Shirley’s memory to support Canadian Blood Services. To donate, please visit: give.blood.ca/goto/shirleykeeley
The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre for their compassion shown to Shirley.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Shirley Mary Diemert Keeley July 2 1938 January 9 2022 (age 83)..
Décès pour la Ville: Calgary, Province: Alberta