Constance C. Keating

Constance C. Keating (Connie) passed away on September 26, 2017, aged 83. She had lived for three years in Cokesbury Village, Hockessin, following 43 happy years in Webster Farm, Wilmington, DE. A beloved wife, mother and grandmother, Connie was a wonderfully kind person who was always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need.

Connie was born in Seaford, DE on the family farm in 1933. At age two her family moved to the San Francisco Bay area where her father worked first on the railroad and then in the defense industry at Mare Island Naval Base. In 1945 her dad bought a farm back in Seaford, DE and joined the growing poultry business. Connie graduated from Seaford High School in 1951 and with the help of a scholarship from the American Association of University Women (AAUW), summer jobs at the DuPont Nylon plant, waitressing in Rehoboth Beach, work for professors and a loan from the Federation of Women’s Clubs, was able to finance most of her way through the University of Delaware, graduating in 1955.

Soon after starting at the DuPont Experimental Station, she went with her Boston roommate to Vermont one weekend and discovered skiing and became an accomplished and graceful skier. This led to many trips – New England, Canada, Colorado, Germany, Austria and Switzerland and new and life-long friends. She also met her future husband, Research Chemical Engineer Kenneth B. Keating, who shared many interests and was a wonderful life time partner.
Raising their two children, Sarah and Ray, took over their lives; they in turn have both become devoted parents and lead careers in international relations (Sarah) and finance (Ray). In their later years, Connie and Ken’s travel involved following their children to Costa Rica, Cape Town, Senegal, Sarajevo, Istanbul, the UK and much of the rest of Europe.

Along the way, Connie did volunteer work for good causes – twenty years as a Board Member of the Wilmington AAUW Branch, almost 40 years with their annual Book Sale to raise money for scholarships for young women and as a Girl Scout Leader. At the time of her death, she was a member of the Board of the University of Delaware Library Associates. Her interests included tennis – which she played with her friends until she was 80 years old – art, music and current events, especially a concern for the environment. Connie delighted in nature and when she spotted a bird, it brought a smile to her face. She loved our State and National parks and supported them throughout her life.

Connie was predeceased by her parents, Clarence R. Curfman and Eva R. Boyce Curfman and her brother John E. Curfman. She is survived by her beloved husband of 55 years, Dr. Kenneth B. Keating, PhD and her two children and their families: daughter Sarah Keating and partner Srdjan Arnaut; son Raymond B. Keating, his wife Ingrid J. Keating; three grandchildren: Alena, Julian and Isabella. She is also survived by her sister, Ruth E. Blair and her husband Colonel William J. Blair of Gloucester, VA and her sisters-in-law Anna Curfman of Sioux City, IA and Dr. Barbara Eliasson, PhD, of New York City.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the AAUW Wilmington Scholarship Memorial Fund, 1800 Fairfax Blvd, Wilmington, DE 19803 http://wilmington-de.aauw.net/ or the Delaware Nature Society http://www.delawarenaturesociety.org/GiveNow