Thérèse Marie (Foley) O’Keefe Christie, of Needham, formerly of Dennis and Braintree, died March 15 at the age of 94.  Thérèse is the widow of the late Edward O’Keefe Sr. (dec. 2002) and the late James Christie (dec. 2015).  She is survived by her children, Maureen O’Keefe of South Boston, Edward O’Keefe Jr and his wife Michelle of Taunton, Rosemary Chretien and her husband Richard of Weymouth, David O’Keefe and his wife Stephanie of Milton, and Martha O’Keefe McKenna and her husband Ronald of Milton.  She is also survived by her sister, Dr. Mary Dowd of Needham and many loving grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Terry grew up in New Haven and moved to the Boston area to attend Regis College.  While there, she met the love of her life, Ed O’Keefe.  They married when he returned from WWII and began a loving marriage of fifty-five years.  After a number of moves and the birth of 5 children, they settled in Braintree where Terry taught students who were unable to leave the house to attend the public school.  After retirement, they moved to the Cape and spent many wonderful years together playing golf, spending time with friends, and traveling to Florida for two months each winter.  They ended each day with a scotch while they sat and talked together after clinking glasses and toasting “Cheers! First today!” which has become a family tradition.

After Ed’s death, Terry grew close to their old friend, Jim Christie, who had lost his wife, and Terry’s close friend, Kitty, shortly after Ed died.  They married and spent eight happy years together.

Terry loved to sew and knit and rarely sat idle.  She was either at her sewing machine making clothes for herself or her family or knitting lovely garments.  She made the dresses for the bridesmaids in each of daughters’ weddings and topped it off with the creation of her youngest daughter’s bridal gown.  Every member of her family – children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and spouses – have identical hand knit Christmas stockings which mark them as members of Terry’s tribe.

The final two years of Terry’s life were spent in a memory care home at Vista Terrace in Needham.  Terry received loving care there from the Vista Terrace staff and from her private aides through Right At Home.  Terry’s family is especially grateful for their kind and compassionate care for Terry in her final days.

Terry had a deep faith and her special saint was St. Therese the Little Flower who believed that love is shown through many small deeds rather than one heroic act.  Terry’s life has been an accumulation of small deeds that have added up to a life full of love.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in Saint Elizabeth Parish, 350 Reedsdale Road, Milton, Tuesday, March 20 at 10:00 AM.  Relatives and friends invited.  Visiting hours at Dolan Funeral Home, 460 Granite Avenue, EAST MILTON SQUARE, Monday 4-7 PM.  Interment Saint Francis Xavier Cemetery, Weymouth.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 309 Waverly Oaks Road, Waltham, MA 02452 or to their website at www.alz.org or

https://act.alz.org/site/Donation2?df_id=32112&32112.donation=form1