Obituary of James-J. O-Keefe

-><!-- DisplayFullObituaryText -->O'Keefe, James J.James J. O'Keefe, 89, of Somers, NY died Sunday, March 16, 2014 in NYC after a brief illness. Jim was born May 14, 1924 in NYC to James and Helen O'Keefe and was raised in Yonkers, NY.After graduating from Roosevelt High School in Yonkers, Jim joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served in WWII. He graduated from Manhattan College and pursued a career in sales, working in retail and the insurance industry. He then opened a successful real estate firm in Yonkers and focused the bulk of his professional career in that field. He took much pride in his business and continued working as a real estate appraiser until recently.He had a strong sense of civic duty, serving on many boards of directors including St. John's Riverside Hospital and The Hudson Valley National Bank. Additionally, he served as president of the Yonkers Board of Education, president of the Yonkers United Way and participated in numerous other organizations.Always wanting to learn, he recently completed computer classes. He was an avid reader, preferring history and biography books. For many years, he was a member of the Heritage Hills Golf Club and he played Paddle Tennis there as well. He was an active parishioner of St. Joseph's RC Church in Somers, NY.The devoted husband of Doris (Beairsto) and the proud father of Kathleen, Doreen O'Keefe McNamara, James, Don and Jack O'Keefe, he will be missed by all that knew him. Jim made it look easy to raise a successful family, his proudest accomplishment - his 8 grandchildren will miss "Jimbo".The family will receive friends at Clark Associates Funeral Home 4 Woods Bridge Rd, Katonah, NY on Friday from 4-8pm. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Joseph's Church, 95 Plumbrook Rd., Somers, NY 10589 on Sat. at 10:00 am.Interment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675, www.woundedwarriorproject.org, 855-448-3997.Clark Associates Funeral Home4 Woods Bridge RoadKatonah, NY 10536914-232-3033www.clarkassociatesfuneralhome.com