Mary Helen Keithley

My wife, Mary Helen Keithley, was the most beautiful, intelligent, kindest, sweetest, loving woman in my world. Her smile and amazing, happy green eyes melted my heart. She was the joy and sunshine of my life over sixty years with her. We loved each other completely and unstintedly and always will. She lives in my heart forever.



J. S. Keithley, Husband and Father.



Mom (Mary Helen) will be deeply missed but forever remembered for her strength, her spirit and her loving heart that touched us all. She was devoted to her family and friends. She kept in touch with her friends from the Chicago area as well as coworkers from her job at PayTech in Atlanta.



Jayme Ann Keithley, Daughter.





In Loving Memory of Mom, my special best friend. Mary Helen Keithley was the embodiment of an unselfish love who delighted in all her relationships. She and Dad were soul mates from the start, and parents who gave their children a happy home filled with joy and the freedom to approach life with curiosity and confidence. Mom had a warmth and charisma that invited anyone she met to engage with her, confide in her and feel close to her. Always generous and kind, her sparkly green eyes and sweet smile were a gift to others and, ultimately, the best antidote to the slow debilitating physical effects of rheumatoid arthritis. When she worried about her hands becoming noticeably less functional from her arthritis, Dad would tell her that her eyes and her smile were what people noticed and he was right. She had an inner strength and determination that allowed her to push the pain into the background so she could enjoy life to the fullest, traveling with Dad, and exchanging insights with her buddies at book clubs in Vinings, and with her original book club pals in suburban Chicago.



To have experienced true romantic love with my Dad was a great blessing for her. And in all of her lasting generational friendships from childhood in Des Moines, IA, raising a family in Wilmette, IL, and working with a small business at PayTech here in Atlanta, Mom carved a little space out in each of our hearts.



As a son, there is a huge space in my heart devoted to Mom. She cared for me and Jayme as children, and then again for me as a young adult suffering a catastrophic injury. I am here writing this today because of the unconditional love, patience and inspiration of my mother’s healing hands and words of encouragement in my darkest moments.



So many memories of Mom, but I will share this one: Her desk space as a loan officer with the Wilmette Bank was situated in a large open space at the center of the bank, so you couldn’t miss her coming through the door. Every time I went there to cash a check from a teenage summer job or to visit her at lunch, there was never a time one she wasn’t talking with a customer or a friend. I don’t know how she got any work done, but I know the bank staff valued her contributions. My friends always greeted me by saying “Hey, saw your Mom at the bank the other day”.... You just couldn’t miss her. And now we all do.



Scott James Keithley, Son.



There always seem to be regrets after people pass away. My regret with Mary Helen’s passing is I did not have the time to spend with her as her new daughter-in-law. To really know her on a “best of girlfriend level” I could see in those smiling green eyes, a twinkle that told me, “yes, we would be the best of girlfriends,” we would share laughter and secrets as women do. But with her debilitated health, the opportunity to spend “just girl time” together never came to be.



I do feel so honored to have had Mary Helen touch my life! Despite all the challenges that Mary Helen faced, she was always smiling, always pushing ahead and never giving up. The resolve she had to live life to her fullest and to be as involved in the world as she could be has spilled over to her children. I see the same resolve with my loving husband as he faces his daily challenges much like his mother. The world is a much better place having had Mary Helen grace it with her whit, wisdom and charm. She is so sadly missed.



Jean (Manki) Keithley Daughter-In-Law



To honor the memory of Mary Helen, contributions may be made to The Cradle Adoption Society at www.cradle.org . A tribute in celebration of the life of Mary Helen will be announced soon. Please check this web page for a date, time and location to be determined, or contact Scott Keithley.



To all who knew and loved Mary Helen, please feel free to share your thoughts and memories of her on this web page by choosing the "sign the guestbook" link.