Dear Members of the University Community,
I write to share the sad news that Professor Emeritus Tim O’Keefe of the History Department passed away on June 10. We join Dr. O’Keefe’s wife, Julie, their four children and their children’s families in mourning their loss. We pray that they may find comfort in the legacy of Dr. O’Keefe’s long and full life, the generations of students whom he taught and the friendship of so many colleagues over the years.
An alumnus of St. Mary’s College and University of Notre Dame and a scholar of Irish history, Dr. O’Keefe joined Santa Clara in 1965 and taught history until his retirement in 2010. During his time at Santa Clara, he also held appointments as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, division director of history and social sciences, director of the Durham program in Durham, England, and long-time department chair. His reputation as a teaching scholar earned him the coveted Logothetti Teaching Award and the Brutocao Award for Teaching Excellence. For more about Dr. O’Keefe, see his obituary here.
O’Keefe served Santa Clara University and our students with a spirit of generosity and depth of care that reflected his commitment to our mission - we have lost a wonderful teacher, friend, and colleague.
Notes of condolence can be sent to the O’Keefe Family, care of the History Department:
The O’Keefe Family
℅ History Department
Santa Clara University
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053
Services to celebrate Dr. O’Keefe’s life will be held:
Funeral Mass
10:00am
Friday, June 17, 2022
Mission Santa Clara
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053
Please keep Dr. O’Keefe and his family in your prayers. May he rest in peace.
Sincerely,
Lisa A. Kloppenberg
Acting President