Richard Van Keenan, age 57, of Gulfport, FL, suddenly passed away at home on April 8.
He was born in Smithtown, NY, and lived in Lexington Park, MD as a child. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, and had sailed the Great Lakes of Michigan as a Merchant Marine as a young man. He most recently worked as security at Carlton Arms of St. Petersburg.
In 1996, he and his loving partner, Leslie Johnson, moved from Ohio to Florida to pursue education. He earned a Masters Degree in Sociology from the University of South Florida in 2005. Richard loved going to Treasure Island Beach, fishing, cooking, and watching his favorite sports teams. He loved the holidays and walking his dog Rosie on Pass-A-Grille Beach.
He was predeceased by his parents, Joseph and Gloria, and sister Mary. He is survived by his daughter Jennifer, grandchildren Jett and Jayna, his loving partner of 25 years, Leslie, sister Barbara, brother Joseph, nieces and nephews.
Richard will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and pets Rosie and Booboo.
Funeral services are being handled by Abbey Cremation of Largo, FL. A virtual memorial will be held online in his honor. Details will be posted via Facebook.
