Peggy Keelan-White

Peggy Jo Keelan-White, age 56, died December 9, 2009 in the ICU of Bryan LGH West in Lincoln, Nebraska. After overcoming breast cancer, she had been battling acute leukemia since August.

Peg was born May 22, 1953 in Lincoln, Nebraska, to Tom and Shirley (Arnold) Keelan. She attended Hartley School, Whittier Junior High School, and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1971. She attended UNL where she earned her BS in Speech Pathology and her Master of Education in Educational Psychology. While at UNL, she was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and performed with the University Singers. With the exception of one school year when she studied in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, on a Rotary International Scholarship, Peg has worked in special education for the York Public Schools since 1977.

On August 4, 1979, Peg was united in marriage to Don White and the two of them became Peg and Don Keelan-White. To this union were born two sons.

Survivors include her husband Don Keelan-White of York; two sons, Ben of Omaha, and Evan of Lincoln; mother, Shirley Keelan of Lincoln; three brothers, Malley (Colette) Keelan, Tim Keelan, and Patrick (Kelly Ideus) Keelan all of Lincoln; one sister Kerry Keelan-Dineen (John P. Dineen, Jr) of Omaha; nieces Maggie, Maeve, and Shea Rose, and nephews, Sean Michael and Finn; and long time good friend, Becky Hanna. She was preceded in death by her father, Tom Keelan.

Peg adored her two sons, her nieces and nephews, and cherished a special relationship with her mother and each one of her siblings. She loved nothing more than working in her courtyard garden. Peg also enjoyed singing and dabbling in theater. Peg’s greatest impact was in the classroom working with students.

Funeral services will be held Monday, December 14, 2009 at 10:30 AM at the First United Methodist Church in York with Pastor Art Phillips officiating. Wayne White, minister of the Webb Chapel Road Church of Christ in Dallas, Texas, will deliver the eulogy. Interment will follow in York’s Greenwood Cemetery. Visitation will be from 1-9 PM Saturday and 1-9 PM Sunday at the mortuary. The family will receive friends from 6-8 PM Sunday evening. Memorials may be directed to the Susan G. Komen Foundation or The Nebraska Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.