Our beloved Keeley Ann Rooney died unexpectedly on Saturday, May 22, 2021.
Keeley was born on October 26, 1977 and raised in Boise, Idaho. She attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School and Bishop Kelly High School, class of 1996. Keeley was an active student, participating in numerous clubs, and was a proud member of the swim team.
After high school, she attended Milwaukee School of Engineering to study Biomedical Engineering.
Keeley returned home to Boise in 2000. She followed in her mother’s footsteps and found a passion for teaching people to swim at the YMCA, where she was responsible for hundreds of children learning to swim. Every summer, she dedicated her time to be a YMCA camp counselor.
Keeley was devoted to her family. In 2005, 3-year-old Aiden came into her life. She fell in love with him and jumped through hoops until his adoption was finalized in 2008. She was an extremely loving mother and her life revolved around her son. She attended every baseball game and every swim meet. She was also devoted to her brother, Paddy, who was injured when he was 14 months old. Keeley made it possible for him to attend school with her by providing assistance. Her namesake, Aunt Keeley, was especially dear to her heart. She would travel every year to spend Thanksgiving with her, and often many Easters as well. She was very involved in her brother Jacob’s life, too, and spent countless hours working and cheering at his baseball games.
Keeley had a special talent for making everything more special. Any celebration or holiday was an excuse for her to work her magic and make sure the day was extra special. St. Patrick’s Day was the highlight of her year. She would celebrate with friends, good food, and of course, bagpipes. She loved attending musical events, especially Broadway style performances, which she enjoyed from her front row seat, with her annual season tickets at the Morrison Center.
One of her favorite things to do was to plan and execute memorable vacations, especially Disneyland vacations. She and Aiden would go almost every year, often meeting up with family and friends. No visit was complete without enjoying Mickey beignets and riding on Pirates of the Caribbean and Teacups.
There was no better friend than Keeley. Keeley was dedicated to all the people in her life. She had the biggest heart and always took care of everybody else. She was there to help with your Herculean tasks but was also there if you just needed someone to listen.
Keeley is survived by her son, Aiden; her mother, Holli Vanderwall; her stepfather, Jeff; her brother, Jacob; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her father, John Rooney; her brother, Paddy; both sets of grandparents; and four uncles.
Services will be held in the chapel at St. John’s Cathedral on May 28th, 2021. Rosary begins at 5:30 pm, with the funeral at 6:00 pm, and a reception to follow. She will be buried next to her brother and father, in Livermore, California, at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the YMCA for the Y Camp at Horsethief Reservoir in honor of Keeley.
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