Clare Keneally
1953-08-12 2014-11-23
Clare M. Keneally of Norwalk, CT was born on August 12, 1953 and died on November 23, 2014.
She was a beloved sister, niece, aunt and cousin and a passionately dedicated nurse to her patients at Norwalk Hospital. Clare was the fourth of five children of Rita M. Keneally, (nee Lynch) and Joseph V. Keneally. She is survived by her aunts Mary Powers Lynch, Anne Lynch Hart and Joan Keneally, uncle Vincent T. Keneally and brothers Stephen M. Lynch, Gerald M. Keneally, Kenneth G. Keneally, J. Christopher Keneally and Joseph V. Keneally, Jr. and their wives. She leaves a splendid complement of specially loved cousins, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. As a child of the 1950s, young girl of the '60s and young adult of the '70s Clare lived through some exhilarating and tumultuous times. She survived a personal crisis in the early '80s and found her true calling. She became a Registered Nurse. For the next 25 years she excelled at giving compassionate care to everyone she met in the Intensive Care and Coronary Care units at Norwalk Hospital. She was deeply respected by all of her colleagues for her professionalism and true caring abilities. Clare balanced the intensity of being a front-line nurse with frequent travel. A childhood spent at Compo Beach in Westport kindled a deep affection for the New England coast. Clare vacationed all along the ocean shore and expanded her travels to both coasts of Canada. She leavened these excursions with visits to the desert Southwest and other destinations in America and Europe. One of her most cherished places to visit was close to home at the Keneally Christmas Tree Farm. She loved the peace and beauty amidst thousands of Christmas trees in one of the most tranquil corners of Fairfield County.
Clare also enjoyed music, especially jazz, and was an avid reader, playgoer, photographer and an inveterate devotee of the New York Times. She had a great fervor for all the arts and sought out galleries, museums, music and craft festivals everywhere she went. The family will have a celebration of Clare's life when the world is re-born in the spring of 2015. In lieu of flowers please consider a memorial gift to the Westport Public Library, 20 Jesup Rd., Westport, CT, 06880 or the Scleroderma Foundation, 59 Front St, Binghamton, NY 13905.
Published by Westport-News from Dec. 17 to Dec. 19, 2014.
She was a beloved sister, niece, aunt and cousin and a passionately dedicated nurse to her patients at Norwalk Hospital. Clare was the fourth of five children of Rita M. Keneally, (nee Lynch) and Joseph V. Keneally. She is survived by her aunts Mary Powers Lynch, Anne Lynch Hart and Joan Keneally, uncle Vincent T. Keneally and brothers Stephen M. Lynch, Gerald M. Keneally, Kenneth G. Keneally, J. Christopher Keneally and Joseph V. Keneally, Jr. and their wives. She leaves a splendid complement of specially loved cousins, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. As a child of the 1950s, young girl of the '60s and young adult of the '70s Clare lived through some exhilarating and tumultuous times. She survived a personal crisis in the early '80s and found her true calling. She became a Registered Nurse. For the next 25 years she excelled at giving compassionate care to everyone she met in the Intensive Care and Coronary Care units at Norwalk Hospital. She was deeply respected by all of her colleagues for her professionalism and true caring abilities. Clare balanced the intensity of being a front-line nurse with frequent travel. A childhood spent at Compo Beach in Westport kindled a deep affection for the New England coast. Clare vacationed all along the ocean shore and expanded her travels to both coasts of Canada. She leavened these excursions with visits to the desert Southwest and other destinations in America and Europe. One of her most cherished places to visit was close to home at the Keneally Christmas Tree Farm. She loved the peace and beauty amidst thousands of Christmas trees in one of the most tranquil corners of Fairfield County.
Clare also enjoyed music, especially jazz, and was an avid reader, playgoer, photographer and an inveterate devotee of the New York Times. She had a great fervor for all the arts and sought out galleries, museums, music and craft festivals everywhere she went. The family will have a celebration of Clare's life when the world is re-born in the spring of 2015. In lieu of flowers please consider a memorial gift to the Westport Public Library, 20 Jesup Rd., Westport, CT, 06880 or the Scleroderma Foundation, 59 Front St, Binghamton, NY 13905.
Published by Westport-News from Dec. 17 to Dec. 19, 2014.
Clare, you were witty, funny, and unique. We were close friends from Coleytown Elementary through adulthood. You were shy, and never went to reunions, but I would see you when I visited Westport. I'll never forget you.
tribute by Elizabeth J. Yoder