Mary Beth Keating, 87, of Delray Beach, FL and formerly of Weston, CT, passed away on June 28, 2017. Born Mary Betty Schieber, she was raised in Buffalo, NY and worked as an American Airlines Stewardess before her wings were clipped when she married Thomas Paul Keating, Jr. in 1956 and they had three children. She lived in Manhattan, Larchmont and several towns in Connecticut and worked at the Weston Group and Equitable before retiring to Delray Beach, FL in 1994. She may have had an alias but her secret identity has yet to be verified. Mary Beth was a loving sister, a devoted wife, mother and Oma and a good friend. Others will often say that they enjoyed the fact that Mary Beth always took time to make them feel special. Her brother John, sister in law Catherine, her late brother in law Jerome, his late wife Barbara and his widow Christine, have large close-knit loving families and she relished traveling to Buffalo and Chicago to celebrate holidays and birthdays and share the good times with her nieces and nephews. Her family and work life afforded her unique opportunities to travel . She summered in Greenwich and Cape Cod, visited many US destinations by car, boat and RV, sailed in the Caribbean and to Europe and had a special fondness for family in Curacao. She went hunting, raised bird dogs and fished in a salmon camp in Canada. She was generous of spirit and open to adventure. Through the years she was an active volunteer within her communities, churches and within the Friendship Club of St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach. She enjoyed travel, bowling, golfing at Aspetuck Valley Country Club, playing cards, reading, cooking and had a true appreciation for "all living creatures." She had a green thumb, ran her own "plant hospital" and was always eager to learn about gardening, indigenous plants and to share her excitement with others. A lover of animals, theatre and the arts, Mary Beth appreciated all genres of music and she could often be found dancing, whistling or singing around the house and playing solitaire with the cat and dog long after midnight. She believed in dressing for dinner, lighting candles, using the fine china on a Tuesday and cocktails at five. Her son Tom recalls never ending rides to and from little league baseball and football practice and her encouragement to try different things in order to develop a meaningful fulfilling life. She was an avid sports fan enjoying everything from tennis to horse racing. Tom coined the phrase, "Very Mary Beth," in an attempt to capture her unique perspective on how one enjoys life. She taught all with whom she came in contact (willing or not), of the importance of having gratitude for God's gifts, developing a healthy appreciation for the finer things and allowing time in each day to slow down and smell the roses. (OR ELSE!!!)


She is survived by her brother, John Francis (Catherine) Schieber of Buffalo, NY; her sister in law, Christine Keating of Niceville, FL; her three children: daughter, Christine (Lee) Kiggins of Darien, CT; daughter, Caryl (Edouard) Keating Halabi of Delray Beach, FL; son, Thomas Paul (Cindy) Keating III of Woodstock, VA; her two grandchildren: Don (Emily) Kiggins of Grosse Pointe Farms, MI and Elizabeth Kiggins of Chicago, IL and many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. Mary Beth Keating is predeceased by her husband, Thomas in 2005.

Memorial Mass - Delray Beach, FL
Saturday July 08, 2017 11:00 AM
St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church
840 George Bush Blvd. Delray Beach, FL 33483 O. 561.276.6892 | F. 561.276.8068

Memorial Mass – Darien, Connecticut
Saturday August 26, 2017 11:00 AM
St. John Catholic Church
1986 Post Road
Darien, Connecticut 06820

Funeral Mass and Final Internment
Arlington National Cemetery
Date TBD

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to:
MORIKAMI MUSEUM & JAPANEESE GARDENS - Visit morikami.org or call (561) 233-1347
FERRER FUND - Visit StVincentFerrer.com or call 561-276-6892