John T. Keane

ALBANY - John Thomas Keane, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, October 14, 2021.  John was born in Albany on June 29, 1934.  He was predeceased by his parents Thomas Keane and Christine Broderick-Keane, his brother Thomas Keane, grandchild Kyle Friss and very recently, his sister Eileen Keane.

John graduated from Cathedral High School in 1952 where he excelled in baseball and basketball.  He continued his passion for both sports with his grandchildren and was the first one out on the court or the whiffle ball field at family gatherings.  He had a mean hook shot and nasty curveball on the mound.  He kept in contact with his many high school friends and looked forward to their yearly get togethers.  John loved music and singing.  He sang at his daughters' and nieces' weddings and cherished the family tradition of singing the Twelve days of Christmas during the Holidays.  Of course, he always had the coveted role of "Five Golden Rings,” and sang it with pride.  Any chance he got, he would grab a mic and belt out a tune.  We will miss his beautiful singing voice.   John loved doing impersonations.  His impersonations of Louie Armstrong, Jimmy Stewart and Humphrey Bogart were spot on.  He had a wonderful sense of humor, a positive attitude, and a smile and a kind word for everyone.   John enjoyed his bowling league that he was a part of with his daughter Tina for over twenty years.  He loved and cherished his family and never missed any of the school activities or sporting events.  He was an avid walker—rain, sleet or snow could not keep him from his daily walks.  Even the Times Union caught him walking in a blizzard on Thanksgiving Day and his picture made the front page.  He enjoyed doing jumbles and crossword puzzles with his family.  He was well versed in sports trivia and his favorite family game was Twenty Questions.  He knew the mascots for all college teams.  We do not have the words to express how much this man was loved by his family and how deeply he will be missed.

John was proud of his service in the Army during the Korean War and shared many stories with his family over the years.  In 1996, John retired after 33 years from the U.S. Post Office.

Our Dad’s favorite expression that he always left with was “If you can no longer participate in sports, at least you can be one.”

John is survived by his wife Rosemary Keane, his children Kathleen Cramer, Debra Friss (Scott), Michael, Tina Barr (Tim),  Amy Carmello (John), his former son-in-law and friend Jim Cramer, and his 11 grandchildren, Cameron, Jennifer, Connor, Corey, Kaylee, Justin, Braeden, Timothy, Ryan, Zachary and Paige.  He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Judith Keane, brothers-in-law, Dan Walker and Pat Testa, and many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank Dr. Parag Shah for the friendship and care he has given to John.  We are forever grateful.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit with John’s family on Tuesday from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at Cannon Funeral Home, 2020 Central Ave. Colonie. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday at 10:00 am at Christ the King Church, Sumter Ave. Westmere. Interment will follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Rensselaer.

Memorial contributions, in memory of John’s sister Eileen, may be made to the Center for Disability Services, 314 South Manning Blvd., Albany, NY 12208 or Hyperacusis Research Limited, Inc. PO Box 1295, Marlboro, MA 01752.To leave a message of condolence for the family or to view John’s custom video tribute, visit www.CannonFuneral.com