Arthur Keefe, Jr.

WEBSTER - Arthur A. "Boat's" "Buddy" Keefe, Jr., 79, of Victoria Drive, died Monday, March 1, 2010, in his home. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Lucille "Chickie" (Saad) Keefe of Webster; his son, William J. Keefe of Dudley; a sister, Barbara Eastman of Millbury; two grandsons, Stephen Keefe of Lowell and Jason Keefe of Brownsville, TX; a great granddaughter, Rhea Keefe of Billerica; three nieces and two nephews. He was predeceased by a brother, Richard Keefe; and three sisters, June Keefe, Phyllis LaPrade, and Shirley Lockhart. He was born in Oxford, the son of the late Arthur A. and Ruth A. (Moore) Keefe, Sr., and lived in Oxford before moving to Webster in 1967. He was retired from the U.S. Navy, where he served from 1948 to 1967 and was a veteran of the Korean War and Vietnam War. Mr. Keefe worked at Wajers Express in Dudley for 20 years, retiring in 1992. During his retirement, he enjoyed giving excursion boat tours at Indian Ranch in Webster. Mr. Keefe was a member of St. Louis Church in Webster and a member of the Teamsters Local 170 in Worcester. He was a member of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association and a member and sponsor of the U.S. Navy Memorial. A funeral will be held on Thursday, March 11, 2010, from Paradis Funeral Home, 357 Main St., Oxford, followed by a Mass at 10 a.m. at St. Louis Church, 15 Lake St., Webster. Military burial will follow at North Cemetery, Oxford. Calling hours are Wednesday, March 10, 2010, from 4-8 p.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the VNA Care Hospice, 120 Thomas St., Worcester, MA 01608.