Obituary of Beverly Keegan

Sunnyside is where Beverly Keegan and husband Tom raised their three children: Valerie, Tommy & Kateri. Born to the late James and Margaret (Ford) Irwin in New York City. She died at her home in Satellite Beach, Florida. In the early 70's, she was hired by attorney Benjamin Shaw and quickly became part of Sunnyside's civic and business community. After Sunnyside Community Services was created in 1974, Beverly became a key advisor to the board and then Treasurer of SCS. As Treasurer and Board Member of the Chamber of Commerce, she worked on brightening Queens Boulevard with Holiday Lights, Christmas Tree Lighting ceremonies (as an effervescent elf to Santa Claus, aka the late Ed Lynch) and many other projects through the years. To many people and in ways too numerous to mention, Beverly has exemplified the caring and decency which is the heart of Sunnyside. As an auxiliary Kiwanian (before women could be full members), and then as a member and~President of the Sunnyside Kiwanis Club, "Miss Congeniality" galvanized fundraising efforts to help Sunnysiders in need and send a busload of local kids to upstate Kamp Kiwanis each summer. She and the late Lou Lodati founded and "M-Ceed" the fabulous annual Valentine's Day Party at SCS. All the while, Beverly competently served the legal needs of countless Queens residents in Ben's practice, joined by Marc Crawford Leavitt in the mid 80's. She was a contributor to Joe Sabba's Woodside Herald, frequent diner at Lily Gavin's "Dazie's" and Andy Breslin's "Sidetrack's", and constant ally of Luke Adams in projects like ~ "Buy a Piece of Sunnyside", Beverly Keegan was a loyal friend to everyone in the Sunnyside Community. She is survived by her beloved husband Thomas, her children: Valerie Keegan (Ed), Thomas (Karen) and Kateri Sinclair (Joseph), her grandchildren: Thomas, Eddie, and Jerica, her great grandchildren: Taylor and Jayden and her dear sister Dorothy Quinn Visitation will be Tuesday, August 23 from 2-9PM at Edward D. Lynch Funeral Home, Inc, 43-07 Queens Boulevard, Sunnyside, NY. Funeral Mass will be held 9:45 am on Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at St. Teresa RCC, 44th Street And 50th Avenue, Woodside, NY. Burial will be at St. John Cemetery, in Middle Village, following Mass.