Obituary for Anne C. Canty (Keefe)
Anne Cameron Keefe born in Watertown, MA to Owen Francis and Theresa Cameron Keefe, March 3, 1929. Her parents met when her father was a student at Tufts University and her mother lived on Powderhouse Boulevard adjacent to the college campus. They courted for nine years before they married. They were loving parents to Anne and her brother, Owen Francis “Bud.” Unfortunately, Owen Sr. died at the age of 39 in 1936, leaving Anne’s mother, Theresa, to raise their two children on her own. Her mother went to work at US Customs office in Boston and rose to become director of Human Resources before she retired in 1961.
Anne attended elementary public school until she enrolled in Marycliff Academy for high school. There she enjoyed learning more about her favorite subject; French, played basketball and tennis, and was vice president of her class. She continued her education at Emmanuel College in Boston where she made lifelong friends. In 1987, she completed her master’s degree in religious education also from Emmanuel College. She maintained her college connections, helping to organize her 60th college reunion which she attended with her daughter, another proud alumna of Emmanuel college.
After Emmanuel, she entered the novitiate of the Religious of the Sacred Heart in Albany, New York. As a religious, Anne studied and taught 8 years in the primary grades. Fortunately for her family, she decided to leave the order and came home to live with her mother.
Shortly thereafter she met the boy next door, her future husband, Ned Canty. Her first big trip was a group trip to Europe with Ned as the guide and her Aunt Cute as her chaperone. During the trip, Ned secretly bought her engagement ring.
They were married January 28, 1961 and began a loving union that happily lasted over 61 years. Together they had 5 children: Teresa, Regina, Mary Josephine, Edgar Timothy and Angela. In 1976, they welcomed Marc Nguyen, a young boy from Vietnam whose family who relocated to the US and wanted to him to have a Catholic education, into our family. He spent the school year with the Cantys and summers with the Nguyens.
Anne and Ned provided a lovely life for their family. Special memories include summers spent in their second home at Lake Winnipesaukee, adventurous trips to Colorado and Europe, and many celebrations highlighting family milestones, religious observances, and the annual highly competitive juried pumpkin carving contest.
Their family grew to include, Teresa’s husband, Doug, their children; Liz, Jess and Chrissy and their children; Gavin and Olivia; Regina’s husband, Ilya; Marc’s wife Hong, their children, Tyler, Emily and Madison; Mary-Jo’s husband Dave and their children Madeline and Erin; Tim’s wife, Anastasia and their children Isabelle and Evan; Angela’s husband Roy and their children Roy Michael and Christopher.
An amazing family for a woman who envisioned a religious vocation.
She maintained her unique personal qualities throughout her life as were first described in her college yearbook. “The buoyancy of Anne’s very being, her very joy of living, her vivacity, her unspoildness have made her valuable as a student, has made her charming as a friend. Life should be more merry for her
passing on it’s ways.”
Donations in Mrs. Canty’s memory may be made to her alma mater Emmanuel College at https://alumni.emmanuel.edu/make-a-gift
Anne attended elementary public school until she enrolled in Marycliff Academy for high school. There she enjoyed learning more about her favorite subject; French, played basketball and tennis, and was vice president of her class. She continued her education at Emmanuel College in Boston where she made lifelong friends. In 1987, she completed her master’s degree in religious education also from Emmanuel College. She maintained her college connections, helping to organize her 60th college reunion which she attended with her daughter, another proud alumna of Emmanuel college.
After Emmanuel, she entered the novitiate of the Religious of the Sacred Heart in Albany, New York. As a religious, Anne studied and taught 8 years in the primary grades. Fortunately for her family, she decided to leave the order and came home to live with her mother.
Shortly thereafter she met the boy next door, her future husband, Ned Canty. Her first big trip was a group trip to Europe with Ned as the guide and her Aunt Cute as her chaperone. During the trip, Ned secretly bought her engagement ring.
They were married January 28, 1961 and began a loving union that happily lasted over 61 years. Together they had 5 children: Teresa, Regina, Mary Josephine, Edgar Timothy and Angela. In 1976, they welcomed Marc Nguyen, a young boy from Vietnam whose family who relocated to the US and wanted to him to have a Catholic education, into our family. He spent the school year with the Cantys and summers with the Nguyens.
Anne and Ned provided a lovely life for their family. Special memories include summers spent in their second home at Lake Winnipesaukee, adventurous trips to Colorado and Europe, and many celebrations highlighting family milestones, religious observances, and the annual highly competitive juried pumpkin carving contest.
Their family grew to include, Teresa’s husband, Doug, their children; Liz, Jess and Chrissy and their children; Gavin and Olivia; Regina’s husband, Ilya; Marc’s wife Hong, their children, Tyler, Emily and Madison; Mary-Jo’s husband Dave and their children Madeline and Erin; Tim’s wife, Anastasia and their children Isabelle and Evan; Angela’s husband Roy and their children Roy Michael and Christopher.
An amazing family for a woman who envisioned a religious vocation.
She maintained her unique personal qualities throughout her life as were first described in her college yearbook. “The buoyancy of Anne’s very being, her very joy of living, her vivacity, her unspoildness have made her valuable as a student, has made her charming as a friend. Life should be more merry for her
passing on it’s ways.”
Donations in Mrs. Canty’s memory may be made to her alma mater Emmanuel College at https://alumni.emmanuel.edu/make-a-gift