Irma Ann Keenan

Irma (Auer) Keenan—known to all as Mema—left this earthly life on July 29, surrounded by her family and joyfully reunited with loved ones who went before her.

Born in Randegg, Germany, the eldest of seven, Mema was a 90-mph dynamo who loved and appreciated Abenteuer (adventure) and found it in everything she did. She trained in culinary arts and hospitality in Switzerland before emigrating to New York City to study fashion design. There she met her future husband, Bill, at a Wall Street bank, beginning a lifelong partnership defined by creativity, hard work, and a more than a bit of fearlessness. Leaving New York, they spent many happy years at Smith Mountain Lake Virginia.

Together they raised six children while building a life that spanned banking, home health care, real estate renovation, running a true New York deli (and later one in Virginia), Bible school education, and a real estate appraisal business.

Mema lived and loved fiercely. She loved God. She welcomed everyone with acceptance, warmth, and support. She was prolific in sewing, knitting, and crocheting—sharing her creations generously. A master gardener, she coaxed abundance from Virginia’s clay soil. A gifted cook, she delighted in feeding many with abundant meals made from the heart. And she could swing a hammer with the best of them.

She is predeceased by her husband Bill “Pepa” Keenan; parents, Wilhelm and Agathe; brother Hans Thomas; and grandsons Andrew William, Caleb Mark, and Joel Daniel. They are celebrating together now.

Mema is survived by her children: Ernest (Eileen), John-Peter (Christy), David (Lesley), Deborah (John) Swayne, Lisa (Wesley) Polly, and Christine (Julian) Lovelock; her grandchildren: Samuel, Peter Joshua, Rachel (Adam), Wesley II (Blair), Jared (Tori), Colston, Joseph, Daniel, Alexandra, Caleb Jr., William, Sophie, Beatrice, and Elizabeth; her great-grandchildren: Eloise and Andy Markwood, Walter and Henry Keenan; and her siblings Konrad, Roland, Gertrud, Felicia, and Hermann (Domenico), along with their families. Her list of friends would extend for pages.

Visitation and a memorial service will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, August 14 at Shaw-Davis Funeral Home, 34 West Second Avenue Columbus, Ohio. The memorial service will begin shortly after noon.

The Keenan family extends heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Dublin Glenn Memory Care. Their compassion and love for Mema throughout her Alzheimer’s journey were extraordinary.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Central Ohio (https://Alzheimer's Association /centralohio) or Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (https://curealz.org).

Good night, Sleep Tight, God Bless You.