February 15, 2022 at 9:19 p.m.
'He was loved by everybody'
'He was loved by everybody'
What also didn’t change was Keough’s willingness to engage parishioners in their parish community and beyond while sharing with them his love for Christ. But more than anything else, “Deacon Chris” — who tragically died in a car accident on Feb. 11 — will be remembered as a friend.
“He was a wonderful person. He was dedicated to serving the parish,” said Jerry Steele, pastoral council moderator at Transfiguration Parish. “He had a great sense of humor. He wanted to engage you in conversation. He wanted to know about you. He would ask me, ‘How is your granddaughter? Are you going to visit her?’ He wanted to know you as a person and … he was the type of person if you needed a friend, he was the person that you would want. If you didn’t know anything else about him and you said I really need a friend, Chris Keough was that person. He was loved by everybody.”
“The sudden passing ... is heartbreaking for his family, his parishioners, brother deacons, colleagues, and the entire Diocese of Albany,” added Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger in a statement. “Deacon Chris was a man of strong faith. He was a dedicated servant to the faithful of Transfiguration Parish. I know they will miss his presence. We will pray for the repose of his soul. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him.”
Keough, 66, was born Feb. 10, 1956, in Bennington, Vt., and was the son of the late Donald and Janet Cross Keough. Keough was a graduate of Arlington Memorial High School and St. Michael’s College in Burlington, Vt., where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Business Management.
Keough was ordained a deacon for the Diocese of Burlington (Vt.) on June 25, 2005. He served in ministry at St. John Vianney Parish in South Burlington as well as for Vermont Catholic Charities as administrator of St. Joseph’s Residential Care Home in Burlington. Keough was also the director of the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Burlington until he joined the Diocese of Albany.
Steele said Keough came to Transfiguration Parish — formerly St. Bonaventure’s Church in Speigletown and St. John the Baptist Church, later Church of the Holy Trinity in Schaghticoke — during a time of transition.
“I would consider him to be a very spiritual, very thoughtful gentleman who really lived the life of Christ and he brought that compassion and that love for Christ to us. He shared that with us,” Steele said of Keough. “The idea of bringing the parish together … you had three parishes coming together even before he was there. I think what he wanted to do was make Transfiguration one parish and I know over the last 10, 12, 15 years with parishes closing and merging throughout the Diocese, for many communities that has been hard. I know when he came here, he really wanted to make Transfiguration one parish and I think he was very successful at that.”
Keough also reached out to Steele about being part of the pastoral council.
“I was honored to be asked to be part of that. He didn’t want to wait for people to volunteer because I think sometimes people are hesitant to volunteer,” said Steele, who also helped develop the parish’s COVID response plan along with Keough. “When you ask them to participate in the parish community that was his way of engaging the community.”
Whether kidding Father Dominic Ingemie about his beloved Yankees or helping run the parish’s food booth at the Schaghticoke Fair, Keough remained dedicated to the parish. Steele said he emailed Keough the day he died about parish fundraisers, particularly the garage sale for the year.
“He made you feel when he spoke with you that you were the center of his attention,” Steele said. “When you talked with him, he wanted you to be fully engaged with him as well.”
Beloved husband for over 43 years of Patricia Hawley Keough, devoted father of Craig (Leigh-Anne) Keough, brother of Michael (Sonya) Keough and late twin Craig Francis Keough, and loving nephew of Vivian Cross, he also is survived by his sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, cousins and many members of the clergy and parish communities.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Feb. 19 at Transfiguration Parish. Interment with Rite of Committal will be offered at St. Columban’s Cemetery in Arlington, Vt., in the spring. Memorial contributions in Keough’s name can be made to Transfiguration Parish, 50 Hillview Drive, Troy, N.Y., 12182.
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