Robert Joseph Keyes
June 6, 1950 – June 10, 2020
Robert Joseph Keyes (Bob, Bobby) left this life peacefully on June 10, 2020 surrounded by the loving presence of his family, and his dog Dylan. The playlist of his favorite songs, across the decades, provided a send-off for his journey.
In the weeks leading up to his death, and despite his long illness, he celebrated, with joy, a number of milestones, including his 70th birthday and 47th wedding anniversary with his wife, Denise, (Deni). He spent time with his beloved children Patrick (PJ) and Molly, and son-in-law Marshall, and his precious new granddaughter Caroline. His sisters Carol and Kathy were a constant presence. Through the power of Zoom, he was able to connect with over 30 high school friends and teammates from his football team at Chaminade High School. He also connected with his closest friends from Villanova University. His last Zoom call was with his family located across the United States. We are grateful to Capital Caring and his hospice nurse, Heidi, who made him comfortable so he could enjoy his last weeks.
Bob had a long career in broadcast news realizing a childhood dream to work for NBC News in New York City. He traveled the world, and lived in London during the 1980’s with his wife, Deni. Other special times in his career include working political conventions and the Olympics. After 21 years at NBC, he moved on to the Associated Press and then Reuters in Washington, DC. He completed his career working in executive roles at Catholic Charities and Wolf Trap.
Bob lived in Bethesda Maryland until a recent move to Alexandria, Virginia to be closer to Molly, Marshall, and new baby Caroline. A small mass was held at Little Flower Church in Bethesda, where he was a frequent daily mass goer. Friends and neighbors from Wiltshire Drive stood outside, respecting social distancing, to say good-bye. A celebration of his life is planned for June 5th, 2021. Donations can be made on his behalf to the following organizations that Bob supported during his life; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, WhyHunger, Chaminade High School.
