Thomas E. Keenan

Thomas Edward Keenan, 69, of Clear Lake, died Monday, Feb. 13, 2017, at Hospice of the Valley-Lund Home in Gilbert, Az.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Clear Lake, with the Rev. John Gossman officiating.

Inurnment was in Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery, in Mason City, with military honors provided by the Clear Lake VFW Post 4868.

  Family suggests memorial contributions to the Family Alliance for Veterans of America (FAVA), Iowa Donor Network, or the NRA.

Tom was born Feb. 20, 1947, the son of John W. and Edna M. (Ashburn) Keenan, in Mason City, Iowa.  Tom moved to Clear Lake in 1960.  Throughout his high school years all sports were very much a part of his life.  He graduated from Clear Lake High School in 1965.  He attended and graduated from North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City.  He married Mary Jo Kiefer, his high school sweetheart, on Sept 2, 1967, at St. Patricks Church in Clear Lake.  He attended one semester at UNI before enlisting in the US Air Force.  He served his country four years, one being spent in Vietnam.  After leaving the AF, he joined the Phoenix, Az. Police Department in 1971.  Tom and family remained in Arizona until 1979 when he moved his family back to Iowa, where he joined the Iowa State Patrol.  He was assigned to Post 10 in Oelwein, Iowa.  In 1991 he transferred to the Division of Criminal Investigation, and was assigned to Dubuque, Iowa, where he regulated gaming for the state of Iowa.  In 1998, he was transferred to Mason City, where he became a General Crime Agent.  Tom retired in 2003 – 2005 and relaxed for a while before being called back as a gaming representative for the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission at the Diamond Jo Casino.  Tom retired in 2009, and started spending winters south in Florida and Arizona, with five years spent in Valle Del Oro in Mesa, Az.

He and Mary Jo made many close friends during their time at VDO and he enjoyed taking part in all activities, especially tennis, ball playing, hiking, and much more.  He loved fishing in Florida with his son, Mike, and grandson, Sean, and hunting in Iowa with his son, Chris. He also loved family time with his daughter-in-laws and his beloved grandchildren. Summers in Clear Lake were a great joy to him fishing, golfing, tending to his yard, and feeding his birds.

Tom was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, in Clear Lake, he was a third degree member of Knights of Columbus Council 7898 in Clear Lake, and a lifetime member of the Clear Lake VFW.

Tom is survived by his wife, Mary Jo, of Clear Lake; two sons, Michael J. (Sharon) Keenan, of Seminole, Fla. and Christopher E. (Teri) Keenan, of North Liberty, Iowa; six grandchildren, Alison and Sean Keenan, Taylor McLaughlin, Charles, Lyla and McKenzie Keenan; a sister, Joanne (Lloyd) Boone, of Mason City; a niece, Barbara (Mike) Adams, of Humboldt, Iowa; two siblings-in-law, Kathy (Mark) Mostrom, of Thornton, Iowa and Steven (Julie) Kiefer, of Sedro-Woolley, Wash.; and many more family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Edna Keenan; a daughter, Kimberly A. McLaughlin; and parents-in-law, Robert and Marjorie Kiefer.