William V. Keyes, Sr. - Obituary

illiam “Bill” V. Keyes, Sr., 85, of Edgewater, MD, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 11, surrounded by his beloved family. Born in Washington, DC on October 31, 1931 to the late Joseph and Mildred Flynn Keyes, Bill worked, at age 14, for the Washington Senators as a bat boy at Griffith Stadium and attended Bladensburg High School. After high school he served in the United States Army during the Korean War from 1948 until 1953 as a medic. He was awarded the Occupational Medal with Japanese Clasp, the Good Conduct Medal and the Korean Service Medal. After serving in the Army, Bill worked for the Roundhouse B&O Railroad in Washington, D.C. for 7 years and then started working for Giant Food with the opening of their first store in Annapolis. He was eventually promoted to Store Manager and retired after 35 years. In 1960, Bill became a volunteer with the West Lanham Hills VFD and after moving to Edgewater in 1984, he continued serving his community as a volunteer with the Woodland Beach VFD. He was a lifetime member and served on their Board and as Treasurer for 18 years. Bill spent many long hours working as an avid supporter of their fundraising events. He was also a lifetime member of the Elks and the American Legion. Bill coached youth football in the 1960's with the Prince George’s County Boys and Girls Club and later with the Mayo Mustang’s Football team. In 1983, Bill married the love of his life, Cecilia Ann Purcell, and they resided happily in Selby on the Bay. He loved to hunt and fish and was an avid Redskin’s fan that would tell Joe Gibbs what to do! Bill was the king of the one liners, he just made everyone laugh. Most of all he enjoyed spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren. Bill is survived by his wife of 34 years, Cecilia Keyes; his children, Delila Fay Rank, William Vincent Keyes, Jr. and his partner, Christine Allen, Deborah (Michael) Sosnoski, Michael (Maureen) Purcell, Colleen (Jeffery) Abell and John (Lisa) Webster; his sister, Mary Spencer and his 8 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Bill was preceded in death by his brother, Donald Keyes. Friends are invited to celebrate Bill's life on Sunday, July 16 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 pm at the George P. Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater, MD. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Monday, July 17 at 10 am at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, 515 Loch Haven Rd., Edgewater, MD. Interment will follow at Lakemont Memorial Gardens in Davidsonville, MD. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Woodland Beach V.F.D., Inc., P.O. Box 236, Edgewater, MD, 21037. Condolences and tributes may be made by clicking the tab on this page.