Ann Keefe

Ann Keefe of Peterborough died on December 14, 2011 at Monadnock Community Hospital following a brief illness. Prior to her 2003 move to Peterborough, she had resided for many years in Lyndeborough Center and Amherst, NH.

Ann was born in New York City on September 22, 1928 the daughter of Vincent J. O’Shea and Alice A. Howley and was the oldest of five children. Ann graduated from Bayside (NY) High School and Manhattanville College. She worked as an editor at Vogue Magazine. She married John Miles Keefe in 1952 and together they had four children. Following the illness of one of her children she founded and ran a volunteer blood bank, one of the first in the country. She was an amateur actress and was on the Board of the American Stage Festival. After her children were grown, Ann embarked on a second career as a free lance travel writer and her articles were published in 33 newspapers, numerous magazines and travel anthologies including the Boston Globe, L.A. Times, Yankee and Travel and Leisure. Ann was a determined swimmer and a voracious reader.

She is survived by her brothers, William H. O’Shea of Greenwich, Connecticut, Robert J. O’Shea of Southampton, New York and Kenneth A. O’Shea, also of Southampton, New York. She was predeceased by a brother, Vincent J. O’Shea, Jr. and her husband of 53 years, John Miles Keefe, who died in 2005.

She is also survived by her children, William J. Keefe of Wilton, Miles Keefe of East Putney, Vermont, Alice Ann Keefe of Stevens Point, Wisconsin and Jane Keefe Farrell of Wilton, and seven grandchildren.

A memorial mass will be celebrated at Divine Mercy (St. Peter’s Church) in Peterborough at 10:30 AM on Saturday, December 17, 2011. There will be no calling hours.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions should be sent to the Wilton Open Cupboard Food Pantry, P.O. Box 111, Wilton, NH 03086.

The arrangements are in the care of the Michaud Funeral Home, 32 Maple St., Wilton, NH, to view an online obituary or leave a condolence, please visit our web site www.michaudfuneralhome.com