June 22, 2025
REST IN PEACE
Barry Keefe, 85, of Cape May County, New Jersey, left our world peacefully on June 22, 2025, surrounded by the love of his family.
He was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 8, 1940, where he stayed until he entered the Franciscan seminary in 1957. After being ordained a priest in 1966, Barry left the formal ministry in 1973, taking with him the spirit of Saint Francis which enlightened everything he did for the rest of his life. comprehensive human services agency that continues to touch the lives of the neediest residents of Cape May County. In 1999, Barry stepped into the role of assistant professor of social work at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, where he inspired his students with his love of people and his belief in the ability of people to live their best lives.
After he retired in 2005, Barry’s life work expanded to community service. Among his volunteer endeavors, too numerous to list completely, were development of the Master Naturalist program at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, disaster relief support, and service on many boards and committees. Barry was also very involved in Gilda’s Club Cancer Support Community, where he facilitated the men’s group and brought music and laughter to the children at Camp Sparkle.
Barry loved music and his Martin backpacker guitar was his most treasured possession. He was recognized throughout the community as having been the guitar player at church and he performed with many musical groups, even at Carnegie Hall in New York City. His favorite pastime was playing and singing music – especially Irish, country, classical, and 50’s rock and roll – with dear friends.
Barry loved the water, and he was known to sometimes take multiple trips a day to “catch some waves” at his favorite beaches. He was named “Commodore” of a 40-foot, 20 paddler dragon boat in recognition of his steering ability and great sense of humor on the water. Barry made sure that the Viking Dragon team was “always first in our lane!” and his recovery skills were second to none after he fell off the boat and assumed control again.
Barry loved to travel in and out of the country with his favorite travel companion, his wife Eleanore. Their trips were never meticulously planned, which always led to some amazing surprises and adventures – better than anything they could have envisioned.
Barry also loved sports, but he never recovered from the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn. He was an avid fan of the Phillies, Eagles, and FC Barcelona (following a trip to Spain). He was also instrumental in bringing pickleball to Upper Township!
But most of all, Barry loved his family – family was the center of his life. He was married to his wife Eleanore for 50 years. They were best friends and had a love for each other that was immeasurable. He was exceedingly proud of his son David, a professional firefighter, and often referred to him as Captain Keefe. He loved his daughter-in-law Shelby, who always enjoyed sharing music with him, even during his illness.
Barry was known as “Grandbear” to his two grandchildren Owen and Carly. Owen loved trips to the beach with Grandbear in search of the perfect wave, and Carly loved playing Guesstures with Grandbear, who seemingly had no desire to win, but left everyone in hysterical laughter. Barry also cherished his sister Rosemary and nieces (Michele and Kate) and nephew (Brendan), who kept in close touch through weekly Zoom calls that included fond memories of family and growing up in Brooklyn.
In the words of one of Barry’s favorite musicians, John Prine, “Everybody needs somebody that they can talk to, someone to open up their ears, and let that trouble through.” For all his friends and family, the people he taught and counseled, and those who just loved to hear him laugh, Barry was that somebody. He was the gentlest of men, the best of fellows, a true leader, and a giving, caring soul. May Barry’s light and goodness continue to inspire all who knew him.
A celebration of life will take place in the future. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Barry’s memory can be made to Gilda's Club Cancer Support Community (www.cscnj.org) or the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (www.alzfdn.org).
He went on to earn a master’s degree in social work and was hired by the New Jersey Department of Corrections, where he served in roles including drug counselor (Trenton State Prison) and assistant superintendent (Leesburg State Prison). Barry then worked briefly as a school social worker before assuming the role of chief executive officer at Cape Counseling Services in Cape May Court House, which he built from the ground up, creating a