C. Gardinal Keefe

PORTLAND - C. Gardinal Keefe, 87, died peacefully on Wednesday, January 1, 2014 at Springbrook Nursing Center, in Westbrook. She was born in Westbrook, Maine the daughter of John C. and Mary Dunn Keefe. She attended local schools and graduated from Westbrook High School in the class of 1938 and then from Westbrook Jr. College in 1946 with an Associate's Degree in Secretarial Studies. She worked for the Department of the Army in Orleans, France for 3 years; the New England Division of the Army Corps of Engineers in Boston, MA; Headquarters Office of the Chief of Engineers in Washington, D.C.; the Army Military Personnel Command and the Army Material Command in Alexandria, VA retiring in 1993 and subsequently returning to Portland to live. Gardinal was a member of the League of Women Voters; Virginia Federation of Business and Professional Women; a dual member of the Maine Federation of BPW, where she served as Parliamentarian; she served as a director of the Portland House Condominium Board, member of the YWCA and the Women's Literary Union. In her spare time, Gardinal, enjoyed spending time with friends and traveling to England, Ireland, Scotland, France and many other destinations. She was a devout and lifelong communicant of the Catholic Church. The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to the staff of the Springbrook Nursing Center in Westbrook for the wonderful care which they gave to Gardinal during her stay there. She is survived by a sister Hazel Blanchard of Scarborough; a brother John C. and his wife Sarah Gene Keefe of Albany, NY; four nephews Bradford and his wife Angelika Blanchard of Scarborough, James and his wife Dale Keefe, Patrick Keefe and Timothy Keefe all of New York; a niece Ruth Ann Keefe of Scottsdale, AZ; great nephews and niece Nathan Blanchard, Brandan Keefe and Meaghan Keefe. Visiting hours will be held on Saturday, January 4, 2014 from 9:00 to 10:30am at the Conroy-Tully Crawford Funeral Home, 172 State Street, Portland, Maine. Prayers will be recited at the funeral home at 10:15am followed by an 11:00am Mass of Christian Burial at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 307 Congress St., Portland. Burial will be in the spring at St. Hyacinth Cemetery, Westbrook. Those who wish may make contributions in Gardinal's memory to; St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1905 or the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital, Maine Medical Center, 22 Bramhall St., Portland, ME 04102Online condolences may be expressed below.