Joan Marie Keohane

We mourn the passing of Joan Marie Kager Keohane, wife of the late Thomas V. Keohane. She departed this world quietly on September 14, 2025.

Joan roared into the world on Thanksgiving Day 1931, causing her father to miss his Thanksgiving dinner.

Born 6 weeks early and weighing 3 pounds, she was already a little dynamo. Joan took pride in being the fiery redhead- and she truly was. She told many stories of her childhood, including tales of her mother who was the consummate practical joker, her grandfather who slept with one eye open, and her own adventures as well. Once, she cooked up the family's Sunday dinner after school so that she could throw a dinner party for her friend Danny. Another time, she put her foot through the bathroom ceiling while sneaking around in the attic. Unfortunately for her, her father was in the bathroom at the time.

She had guts, this fiery redhead. At 12 years old, she escaped to New York City on a train because she didn't like her stepmother. Her Aunt Lucy sent her back the next day.

Joan attended nursing school in hopes of caring for wounded soldiers. But in 1955, she married Tom Keohane for his "nice smile." She gave up her nursing career to instead mend her seven children from their many mishaps on the farm. She could fix anything with a butterfly bandage.

Joan had one brother, Jack Kager. She had always wanted a sister and tried her darnedest to give one to her only daughter, Sue. But alas, it wasn't to be. Instead, she would learn to make do with six sons and one daughter.

She took great pride in having raised seven happy, successful, well-adjusted children. She never took favorites, despite all being convinced that they were the chosen one.

She always had a soft heart for strays, both people and animals. At one point, among the many other animals at the farmhouse, there were 17 stray cats. And then there was Mikey Byers, who came for Christmas Eve dinner every year until 1984, when he knocked at the front door only to learn that the family had moved out of state without telling him.

Joan loved many things: chardonnay, a party, horses, golf, tennis, reading and spending time with her family. She did not love cooking, however. It was said that the only reason she bought a microwave was so that she could burn dinner in half the time. In her twilight years, she was rumored to have sprayed the frying pan with bug spray instead of PAM, to have used squeeze can cheese on salad, and to have warmed up Tupperware in the oven. Her family never went hungry, however, and when called upon, she could whip up a fabulous holiday dinner.

For much of our childhood, we were convinced our mother was a literary genius until we learned of her proclivity for quoting Ben Franklin. Some of our favorite "Momisms" included:

"The back of me hand you'll get."

"You get your brains from your mother."

"You're the son of an idiot."

"If you don't like it here you can pack up your little black bag and go."

"Nice haircut, you don't look so scraggly now."

"He's the Head Nacho."

And birthdays will never be the same without her annual signature birthday wish for each of her children. "** years ago today... a little baby came into the world...."

Surviving Joan are six children, the Keohane boys, Tom Jr, Mike, Bob, Jim, and Tim, and her daughter Susie Morikawa. Her son Jack and husband Tom predeceased her and are no doubt waiting for her on the other side with a glass of Chardonnay in hand. She was also preceded in death by two granddaughters, Kristen Rikki Morikawa and Kathryn Joan Morikawa. Joan also leaves behind thirteen grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Joan lived a long, happy, and jovial life. She taught us all not to take ourselves too seriously, but rather to just shrug and laugh at ourselves. We all love and miss her. May the dogs that stole her food never go hungry and may the TV remotes mistaken for telephones remain answered.