Bill & Carolyn Keefe 2nd Annual Father Alexander Awardees for Community Service
It gives me great pleasure to scoop the local media and announce the selection of Bill and Carolyn Keefe as selectees for this year’s Father Alexander award for their vast community service. This recognition was initiated by the Our Lady Star of the Sea [OLSS] Parish here in Solomons to identify individuals, couples, or organizations that have a long reputation for doing good within the community. Recipients do not have to be members of the Parish and do not have to be Catholic; the Keefes are sharing this award with the great people at S.M.I.L.E. I will be telling you a wonderful story about this group in next week’s column.
But first, let me share some thoughts with you concerning my good friends Bill and Carolyn. This couple has quietly and unassumingly given of themselves to helping others for many years now. And because of their very low key nature, their work has always remained “below the radar”. I have known this couple for more than 35 years, yet in preparing this column, I have learned so much more about these two gentle people.
Bill came to Solomons at the age of 7 when his father was stationed here following World War II. His parents put him in the OLSS School where he completed high school, graduating in the top five in his class! Actually, under full disclosure, there were only five graduates in the OLSS School Class of 1959!!! Can you imagine what their reunions must be like? They can all fit their entire class in a single booth at any restaurant to have their party! By comparison, my 1963 graduation class at Montgomery Blair in Silver Spring had more than 900 graduates! Gosh, what fun they must have had!
During high school, Bill worked for the OLSS Pastor, Father Cole doing many chores in maintaining the buildings and the grounds. There were no riding mowers in those days so Bill had to push a lawn mower in trimming all the grass around the school, church, convent, rectory, and the cemetery. He was often called upon to do the same for the St. John Vianney grounds in Prince Frederick. This small parish was a mission of OLSS in those days. One of the “fun” jobs Bill looked forward to involved using Father Cole’s 1950 Army surplus Ford pick up to do errands. Often he would be called upon to take fresh seafood to merchants in DC and bring back food stuffs and staples for the Parish. I can’t imagine being allowed to regularly drive an old truck 65 miles up to the big city at the age of 17, especially when Route 4 was a sleepy two lane country road!
Father Cole also had a large 1949 Chrysler sedan at his disposal for Bill to use to carry the OLSS nuns to large farms in Calvert County to provide religious training. I am told, the nuns would recite the Rosary while young Bill chauffeured them throughout the countryside. My vision of this scene would make for a great portrait by Norman Rockwell! Following high school, Bill worked as a carpenter at the Chesapeake Ranch Club as it was known then. He also worked at the M.M. Davis shipyard in Solomons before leaving to see the world by joining the Navy for a four year stint.
Let me turn your attention to Carolyn for a moment. Carolyn grew up in Rockville not far from my home in Montgomery County. She graduated from Juniata College and was hired as a chemist at Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. She worked on many various studies and projects there for years before retiring in 2011. Along the way, she volunteered as a Brownie and Girl Scout Leader and served as the Director of the Bay Breeze Girl Scout Day Camp for three years. She also frequently substituted as a Sunday school teacher at OLSS. But what most of us know about Carolyn is her fine musical ability. Later in life she took lessons and started playing the church organ at Sunday Masses in 1988 and continues to play today while serving a music schedule coordinator for all the various performers in the Parish. Somewhat reserved and demure, I think Carolyn speaks to all of us through her music.
And a few more comments about Bill. Upon returning from the Navy, Bill was also employed at the Chesapeake Biological Lab where he served as a research assistant, then as a deckhand, mate, Captain, and Marine Superintendent for the Lab’s research vessels until his retirement in 1995. He worked in various capacities aboard the University of Delaware and Bermuda Biological Station research boats and as a relief Captain for the Calvert Marine Museum tour boat, the William B. Tennison. You may have read of Bill’s recent exploits in pulling an individual from the Patuxent River while serving aboard the Tennison during one of their sails. For his efforts, he was cited by the Board of County Commissioners for his help in this life saving event. Additionally, Bill finds time to drive the OLSS school bus for school and teen club trips to the National Zoo, Busch Gardens and many other far flung attractions. He volunteers to drive for “Safe Nights” to bring the homeless to overnight shelters during the winter. And he continues to give of himself for many chores around OLSS to this day. Oh, did I say he has a member of the Solomons VFD for 31 years where he has earned a Life Membership?!?
This great couple has been married for 48 years and have two daughters, Sally and husband Peter and daughter Ella who live in Boulder, Colorado and Amy and husband Eric and daughter Elise who reside here in Solomons. This family is the best role model I know for quietly serving the community in many, many ways without any need for attention for the great natural gifts they provide. Bill and Carolyn, on behalf of all your friends, congratulations for a wonderful lifetime of achievement and contributions you so unselfishly provided. You both are most deserving of this superb recognition!
For additional info about the Fr. Alexander Award, contact me at my email address below.
Dave Spigler resides in Lusby and has been a resident of Calvert County since 1979. He has been recognized many times for his years of community service. He received the “Calvert You Are Beautiful Award” for 2013 and recognized by the Knights of Columbus as the “Maryland Citizen of the Year” in 2011. He was a member of the HOGETTES, the Washington Redskins “Biggest Fans” for 22 years. If you know of an unsung citizen of Calvert County, please contact Dave at spiggy@erols.com.