Obituary of Elizabeth Ann Keeney

Elizabeth Ann "Liz" Keeney, age 57 years, left us on November 1, 2014 after an abrupt illness. Liz was the much beloved wife of Michael J. Keeney, PhD, through 37 years of marriage. She was the loving and devoted mother of Joseph W. Keeney and Cheryl A. Nicholsen, daughter of Warren C. and Barbara J. Sloan of Columbus, Ohio, and sister to Amanda L. Tomasello and Lillian V. Swyck. She is also survived by two grandchildren, Jacob M. and Austin J. Nicholsen. Through the course of her life, Liz left in her wake many lives touched by her goodness and gentleness. She worked for 14 years in the accounting office of Tart Lumber in Sterling, Virginia. Although she was a capable and much cherished contributor at Tart, her true calling was as a mother, wife, and homemaker. She devoted her life to creating a loving home for the people she cared about the most and to align her dreams to benefit the people she loved. Liz stood faithfully and cheerfully by her husband through 19 years of military service, moving her household through eight relocations that took her family to Canada, Europe, and the across the United States. It is said that being a military spouse is the toughest job in the armed forces. Despite a one-year separation from her husband during his service in Korea, his six-month deployment to OPERATION DESERT STORM, and her own son's deployment to OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, Liz remained a source of strength and support for her family and friends. She not only faced these challenges, but helped others put things into perspective and find the strength to face things on their own. When her husband's military service ended, she moved her household to Ohio and supported her husband through five years of graduate school. She then moved for a final time to Northern Virginia to support his new career. Liz accomplished so much in her lifetime and took great joy in helping others do the same. Liz loved to laugh and would go to great lengths to have those around her laughing too. She enjoyed her movies and rock music. She adored babies and her face lit up whenever she could hold them. Liz would never forget a special day, and one could always expect cards and candy from her. Despite being most happy in her home, Liz was an intrepid traveler and loved to plan the next adventure. She accompanied school exchange trips to Moscow, strolled along the streets of East Berlin, and shopped in London and along the Champs-Élysées in Paris. She stood in North Korea at Panmunjom and atop the Zugspitze, with one foot in Austria and the other in Germany. She visited Loch Ness, rode gondolas in Venice, walked on Utah Beach in Normandy, smelled tulips in Holland, and haggled with store clerks in Czechoslovakian Prague. She traveled all over the United States, with her most recent trip being to Alaska. The family invites you to join in a celebration of her life at the receiving funeral home, Adams-Green Funeral Home, on Saturday, November 8, 2014 at 3:00 pm (721 Elden Street, Herndon, VA 20170; 703.437.1764, contact person is Peter Piscitelli). Additional information is available at: http://www.adamsgreen.com/. A reception will follow immediately after the service at Hyatt House Sterling/Dulles Airport-North, 45520 Dulles Plaza, Sterling, VA, 20166. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Liz's name to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), https://www.rarediseases.org/about/vision-mission .