Keenan, Ronald J. (1933-2019)

KEENAN, GARD, SMITH, CHRISTENSEN, TITTERINGTON, DAVIS, PETERS, OH, PORTER, BERG, ZETTL

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 5/18/2021 at 17:36:22

Ronald Keenan
December 9, 1933 - June 14, 2019

Ronald Joseph Keenan was born on December 9, 1933, in Fonda, Iowa, and passed away on June 14, 2019, in Des Moines Iowa.

Ron grew up on a farm Northwest of Fonda. As a youngster, he had to work hard, but he did have many adventures. In addition, he loved to tell stories about life on the farm, about skating on the dredge with his sister, about great neighbors, about grading the road in front of their farm, and about “Blackie,” the best dog any boy could have had. During his high school years, his family moved into Storm Lake where Ron attended St. Mary’s High School, graduating in 1952.

He began his career as a plumbing and heating specialist as a teenager when he worked at summer jobs at the canning factory, the local machine shop, Clough Auto Parts, and the construction of a wooden elevator at the corner of Lake Avenue and E Milwaukee. In addition, he spent three years in the Army National Guard as a mechanic. He learned from those jobs that he wanted to work with his hands without having to perform the same tasks every day. For many years, he ran his Keenan Plumbing and Heating business out of the back of his parents’ home décor store on Erie Street. Thus, he turned his passion for making people’s lives better into a successful business that he, eventually, passed on to his son Mike. Together, they took care of more customers than anyone could count, and those customers loved the relationships they built. They saw their job as more than fixing a leaky faucet or installing a new air conditioner but about always fixing what could be repaired, taking care of their customers, and treating them right.

In the late 1970s. Ron bought a vacant lot between Flindt Drive and Dorinda Street where over the course of two years he built his home on top of a shop that allowed him to create “the shortest commute in town.” He took pride in the home he created, and Coleen was excited to get a new place with views of the lake. They lived there for the balance of their fifty-five years together. Loved by his neighbors, he felt fortunate to live there until he passed away.

Ron had a deep love for family, and he started his own on June 25th, 1955, by marrying the love of his life, Coleen Gard, from Early. They had met at the Cobblestone Ballroom where Coleen was sporting a black eye. That, however, didn’t stop Ron from falling head over heels for this beautiful young woman. Together, they raised five children, filling their lives with hard work and adventure. Even with young children, they valued family vacations. In addition, they continued their love of travel after becoming empty nesters. They took a cruise and visited the East, West, and Gulf coasts. Indeed, Ron took his last solo road trip to the West coast just a couple of years ago. They valued their extended family, and they loved getting together with both Ron and Coleen’s families. They found joy in playing cards at the farm in Early or having Sunday morning brunch at Grandma Keenan’s. Ron’s sister, Joyce, even ended up marrying Coleen’s brother, Ed, to create a special set of cousins that were at every family gathering.

Those left to cherish Ron’s memory include his children: Mike and Edna Keenan, Tim and Gloria Keenan, Michelle and Rob Smith, Nancy Christensen, and John and Karen Keenan; his grandchildren: Shallee Keenan and Tom Davis; Cole Keenan; Holly Keenan; Joel and Kellie Keenan; Owen Keenan; Vivian Keenan; Alyssa Keenan and Mike Oh; Kelly and John Peters; Keenan Porter; Malcolm and Jake Smith; and Sherry and Blake Titterington; his great-grandchildren: Alayla, Clyde, Jordan, Jude, Liam, Maddie, Sophia, Trenton; Heidi and Kurtis Peters; and Brody and Zachary Titterington.

Ron was preceded in death by his wife, Coleen Keenan; his parents, Chris and Ethel Keenan; his sisters, Dorothy Smith Berg and Joyce Gard; his parents-in-law, Ed and Vivian Gard; his sister-in-law, Karen Zettl; and brothers-in-law, Ed and Don Gard.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Thursday, June 20, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Storm Lake. Burial will follow in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Storm Lake. Visitation is scheduled for Wednesday, June 19, 2019, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. with a Vigil Service at 7:00 p.m. and KC Rosary at 7:30 p.m., all at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in STORM LAKE. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund for a hearing-impaired system at St. Mary’s will be established. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements.

Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Homes, Storm Lake, Iowa, 2019.

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