Dianne Veronica Mckeever

Dianne Veronica McKeever, 81, of Indianapolis, Indiana passed away on January 2, 2023, after a long illness.  Dianne was born in Queens, New York on November 9, 1941.  Dianne was preceded in death by her parents: James and Veronica Shannon, and her siblings: James Shannon, Jr. and Mary Siegler.  Dianne was married to Patrick McKeever, who died in 2002.  Dianne is survived by her children: Carolyn Willeke, Suzanne Collins, Patrick McKeever, Jr. and Dianne Kathleen McKeever; her sons-in-law: Steve Willeke, Dan Collins and Shreyas Gupta; and her grandchildren: Elise, John and Julia Collins and Steven and Michael Willeke.

As a young girl, Dianne enjoyed roller skating, participated in skating competitions and won many ribbons. While her parents both worked full time, Dianne and her siblings spent their summers having lots of fun together in Queens, NY.  Her stories of their great summer adventures kept her children and her nephews and nieces laughing over the years at many family gatherings.   Dianne graduated from Dominican Commercial High School and soon began working as an assistant at a law firm in Manhattan.  Dianne and Patrick were married on July 28, 1962.  They lived in New York, Michigan, Chicago, South Carolina and, since 1974, Indianapolis.

Dianne was an amazing Mom.  She always made the best dinners and packed school lunches every day with special personal notes. She was her children’s “personal chauffeur” and always let them listen to their favorite radio stations while driving to dancing lessons, swim practice, baseball games, cheerleading, music lessons, theater rehearsals and other school activities. She did this for over twenty-five years without ever having an auto accident!  Dianne was a Girl Scout Leader for all three of her daughters and a champion fundraiser, filling her car with Girl Scout Cookies sold by all the girls in her troop.  Dianne was also a great seamstress, making clothes and many costumes for her children’s’ school performances.

Additionally, Dianne was always a great volunteer.  She volunteered at St. Vincent’s Hospital, she helped publish the Quarterly Newsletters at St. Thomas Aquinas, was a member of St. Anthony’s Women’s Group and was a St. Anthony Catholic School’s library volunteer where she taught children to read.  She was a Member of The Legatus Indianapolis Chapter and Co-Chairperson for the 2001 United Catholic Appeal for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

We loved Dianne and will miss her very much.  A Wake/Calling will take place on Wednesday, January 18, from 4-7pm at the Flanner Buchanan-Geist, 7855 Cork Road, Indianapolis, IN 46236.  The Funeral Remembrance and Mass will take place on Thursday, January 19 at 11am at Our Lady of Peace Chapel at 9001 Haverstick Road, Indianapolis, IN 46240.