Sister Ann Keefe, 62, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, died at home in Providence, RI on January 18, 2015. A native of Warren, Mass., she was the daughter of James and Patricia (Gorman) Keefe.
In 1970 Sister Ann entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from St. Paul Cathedral Parish, Worcester, Mass. She graduated from Marianhill Central Catholic High School, Southbridge, Mass. and earned a B.A. degree from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, Mass. and a master’s degree in social work from Fordham University, Bronx, NY.
Sister Ann taught for a year at Bishop McVinney Catholic Elementary School, Providence, RI before working as director and counselor for Project Respond at CARE in Providence. She served in Team Ministry at St. Michael’s Parish in Providence beginning in 1982 and has continued there for more than three decades. In 1992 she founded CityArts for Youth, Providence and co-founded the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence in 2001. She was also the recipient of several awards: Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless Carol McGovern, RSM Memorial Award, 1998; the Goff Women’s Achievement Award, 2003; Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhode Island Public Health Association, 2008; The Providence Newspaper Guild’s John Kiffney Public Service Award, 2010; YWCA Rhode Island Women of Achievement Award, 2013; and the Ignatian Volunteer Corps Della Strada Award, 2014.
In addition to her Sisters in Community, Sister Ann is survived by her eight siblings: Eileen Swopes of Strafford, Missouri; James Keefe of Mattapoisett, Mass.; Mary Blanchet of Indianapolis, Indiana; Michael Keefe of Gorham, Maine; John Keefe of Warren, Mass.; Brian Keefe of Feeding Hills, Mass.; Kathy Keefe of Catskill, NY, and Angela Leslie Keefe of Sydney, Australia. She is survived, too, by her longtime friend and coworker at St. Michael’s Parish, Sister Joyce Flowers, RSM.