John Patrick O'Keefe

The Amazing John”Johnny” Patrick O’Keefe, 96, beloved G-Pa and general good guy, died August 28, 2018 in York. PA. He was born at home in Deptford, London, England, on August 13, 1922, to Mathew and Florence (Gillman) O’Keefe. He spent his youth dragging his younger brother, Matty, to and from school and around London on many adventures from swimming in the not-so-clean Thames River to sneaking a sit on the Queen’s throne at Westminster Abbey. At age 18 he enlisted in the British Army for the duration of WWII, much to his parents’ chagrin (they were a naval family after all).He was assigned to the Royal East Kent Regiment. Later, he would be transferred to an artillery anti-tank unit as a communications specialist and participated in D-Day. Even in his 90’s he would still type out “beer is best” in Morse code any chance he got.Despite Germany’s efforts to bomb him 3 times (and wounding him once), he managed to survive the war.While waiting in Venice, Italy to be discharged from the Army, Johnny received news that his fiancé, Maybel, was very ill and he rushed home to be with her. Maybel passed before he could reach her and he never married. Johnny returned to England after the War and his job at the coal yard where he was promoted to depot manager. A fortuitous meeting of Rubin and Mary Leypoldt in Ireland lead him to move to the Baltimore, MD, in 1959. The Leypoldts and Johnny were lifelong friends, traveling the world together, renovating an old barn into a home and many more adventures. In 1964, Johnny became a US citizen. After 23 years of working for Valspar Paint, he retired.When his friend Rubin passed away, Johnny moved to Shrewsbury PA, to be closer to Mary. In late 80’s he met the Sweetman family. On Thanksgiving 2001 Johnny and Mary were both unofficially adopted into the Sweetman/Mebust/Glattacker families in a not so formal ceremony. Johnny enjoyed tennis, cheering on his favorite team, the Charleton Athletic Football Club (yes, we know it is actually soccer), regaling his loved ones with tales of his life and drinking his daily prescription gin and tonic (seriously, the man had a prescription for a gin and tonic). Johnny was preceded in death by his parents and younger brother, Matthew. Johnny is greatly missed by his adopted family, Art and Pat Sweetman, of York, PA; Emily and Aaron Mebust and their daughters, Kathryn and Grace, of Colorado Springs, CO; and Kate and Todd Glattacker and their children, Phoebe, Piper and Jack, of Dallastown, PA. There will be a private, family only, service for Johnny at a later date in London. In lieu of flowers or donation the family asks that in remembrance of Johnny, you have a gin and tonic in his honor or if you are brave enough, some jellied eels.