Dr. Gerald Thomas Keegan
Beloved husband, father and friend, Dr. Gerald Thomas Keegan, MD passed away on Monday, January 23, 2023, surrounded by his loved ones. He was 80 years old. “Jerry”, as he was affectionately called by many, was born to Elfredia Marzel Keegan and Arthur Keegan in Jersey City, NJ on April 3, 1942. Jerry spent his early years developing his gift for music and using this talent to contribute to the municipality, and the church of St. John the Baptist. An equally accomplished student, Gerry graduated from Xavier High School in New York City, St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, and Weill Cornell Medical College at Cornell University.
After graduating from medical school, Gerry completed an internal medicine residency at the University of California. During the Vietnam War, he was called to serve his country and entered the United States Navy. There he completed his urology residency at the Naval Hospital in Philadelphia and later became Chief of Urological Surgery at Charleston Naval Regional Medical Center in SC. After his time in the Navy, he joined the faculty at the Medical University of South Carolina as an assistant professor of urology, and was instrumental in the development of their pediatric urology program. Midway through his career, Jerry was offered the opportunity to join Baylor Scott and White Hospital in Temple, Texas, and shortly thereafter became Chairman of the Department of Urology, where he remained for 24 years. One of Jerry’s long-term interests was medical ethics, and he was chairman of the Committee on Medical Ethics. Never forgetting the importance of training the next generation, while continuing his medical practice, Gerry led the development of the initial curriculum for the urology division of Texas A&M Medical School and was appointed full professor. Gerry has authored over forty published medical and ethics articles.
While Jerry was passionate and dedicated to medicine, his family was the cornerstone of his life. In 1968, he married Lynn Gates Keegan, a Cornell classmate. The couple lived their lives to the fullest as they traveled the world, had two children, Catherine Michael and Genevieve Bedano, and four grandchildren, Alexandra and Elizabeth Michael and Anna and Paul Michael Bedano. Jerry regularly shared with his family his love of history, music and the great outdoors of Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula. He was caring, insightful, patient, humble, helpful, brilliant and endlessly loving. He quietly, and always kindly, led and motivated by example.
Jerry’s Catholic faith guided every aspect of his life. He was a member of Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Port Angeles, Washington. In addition to his wife, daughters and grandchildren, Jerry is survived by his brother Arthur (wife Sheila) Keegan, several nieces and nephews, and his sons-in-law, Pablo Bedano and Jared Melendez. His funeral will be held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at 10:30 a.m.
