Obituary of Marcia Lucille Keesey

Marcia Lucille Keesey

 

(1956-2023)

 

 

With love and sadness, we share that Marcia Lucille Keesey (née Rondeau) died unexpectedly but peacefully at her home in Saskatoon on January 16, 2023, at the age of 66.  She left permanent imprints on our hearts and we are eternally grateful for the time we had with her.  For those fortunate enough to have known Marc (“Marce”), you’ll know what we mean when we say her love for others was larger than life.

 

Marcia was truly one of a kind.  She was a compassionate, wonderfully unique and fun-spirited person who had an immense love for her family and friends.  You could always count on her to do something unexpected.  She was infamous for befriending and charming strangers—skillfully collecting personal details and life stories.  She loved getting to know people and it came from a place of genuine interest, curiosity, and the joy of making connections with others.  People wanted to confide in her because it was so easy to be in her presence.  She felt like an old friend.

 

Marcia is survived by her husband and best friend, Ken Keesey (“Kenny”) and their three children: Andrea Keesey (Ben Hall) of Seattle, Washington; Lauren Powel (Greg) of Dorado, Puerto Rico; and Tom Keesey (Vanessa Holly) of Sherwood Park, Alberta. Mom adored her kids with every ounce of her being.  She was a proud grandmother to Ellis (5), Margaret (4), Josephine (2), and Vivian (1) with another grandson expected in February.  Marcia is survived by her younger sister Marilou Davies of Comox, BC, and her three older brothers Kirk Rondeau (Barb Tompkins) and Paul Rondeau (Jan) of Regina, and Kent Rondeau (Anne) of Edmonton as well as her brothers-in-law Larry Keesey (Carol) of Saskatoon, Greg Keesey (Jackie) of Armstrong, BC, sister-in-law Susan Martin (David) of Comox, BC, and many special cousins, nieces, and nephews.

 

Marcia was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, on February 26, 1956, to Malcolm and Lucille Rondeau (née Strayer).  Marcia had a deep love for her parents and had a very special connection with her mother Lucille and her “best friend” Grandpa Rondeau.

 

Marcia loved the prairies and enjoyed reminiscing about her childhood with her mom and dad and her large and lively family and extended family, particularly their summers at the family cottage at Echo Lake and B-Say-Tah Beach and her school days at Davin Elementary and Central Collegiate in Regina.  After graduating from high school, Marcia trained as a Registered Nurse at SIAST in Saskatoon.  She got her first job in the Medical Ward at the Grey Nuns Hospital in Regina, and soon migrated to Labour and Delivery—a job she loved.  She dabbled in many caregiving positions throughout her life including as a special needs classroom nurse and as an office-based nurse in plastic surgery and family practice clinics.  It was her ability to make genuine connections with people that made her a wonderful nurse.  In her younger years Marcia enjoyed singing in the choir and participating in Beta Sigma Phi sorority and Job’s Daughters.

 

Marcia loved music and she loved to play the piano.  It was her piano teacher and family friend Kathleen Keesey who introduced her to her future husband Ken--Kathleen’s youngest son.  Ken and Marcia were married in 1980 and they had three children together.  Marcia loved being a mom and eventually left nursing to be a full-time parent.  She was a fun and spontaneous and vibrant mom, and she was a supportive wife and partner who made several moves around Saskatchewan with the family due to Ken’s career at SaskTel.

 

Marcia loved spending her summers with Ken, family and many life-long friends at Loon Lake.  In the winter, she loved traveling to places with warm sunshine, big pools, cold beer and piña coladas.  One of her favourite things to do was swim and she could be found most mornings at the local pool in Saskatoon, where she counted every lap, then she’d head to the nearby Timmy’s for a coffee and a treat with the other regulars.

 

Marcia struggled with mental illness for most of her adult life but she always showed remarkable resilience and strength in her ability to rebound.  She was fortunate to have the support of many loyal and kind friends during bouts of depression and anxiety.  In particular, our family is grateful to Marcia’s dear friend Margot Lambert, her cousin Maryann Roeger, her sister Marilou, her brother-in-law Larry, and her wonderful neighbours in Saskatoon who she loved to visit.

 

Our family is incredibly grateful to Marcia’s psychiatrist Dr. Karuthedath (“Dr. K”) for his exceptional longitudinal and personalized care.  Marcia’s kids want to thank our Dad for being a beacon of positivity and optimism and a wonderfully dedicated companion and caregiver to our Mom through the ups and downs of her mental health struggles.  He accepted her illness as part of her humanity and integral to who she was.

 

Marcia did not want a formal funeral service.  Instead, she requested a small celebration of life with a “toast to happiness” which will be held on Saturday, July 29, 2023 in Saskatoon. 

 

Marcia, Mom, Nana: we lost you too soon and we will be forever grateful for your wit, your infectious laugh, your handwritten notes and cards, all the hilarious words and “Marc-isms” you coined throughout your life, your warm and soft hugs, your thoughtfulness and generosity, your humour, your humility.  We will miss you and we will hold on to what it felt like to be loved by you: unquestioning, nonjudgmental, unconditional.  We know you are at peace and you are with your parents now, as well as your beloved in-laws Richard and Kathleen and your grandparents.

 

We will love you always, “infinity plus one”.

Please share your condolences and memories of Marcia at www.marciakeesey.com