Susan Jo Kemmer Keating

Susan Jo Kemmer Keating, age 75, of Cary, North Carolina, died peacefully on Thursday, June 20, 2019. She was born July 15, 1943 in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania to Frank Nelson Kemmer and Carol Pancost Kemmer.

She was a 1965 graduate of the University of North Carolina -Chapel Hill School of Nursing and served as a pediatric registered nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, and as a nurse practitioner at Childrens’ Hospital in St. Louis, MO. Susan concluded her professional life as a project manager at the Washington University School of Medicine (Department of Psychiatry).

Generous with her time and talents outside of work, Susan volunteered for organizations including the Sierra Club, Blue Star Mothers of America, the ASPCA, and the Litzsinger Road Ecology Center.

A lover of wild places, from the Grand Canyon to the Appalachian Trail, Susan was a passionate student of the natural world and a committed advocate for nature conservation. She was a competitive runner and an enthusiastic hiker who instilled a love of sports and the outdoors in her children. Susan loved family trips to the Outer Banks, where she could relax, laugh, and enjoy the sunshine. Friends and family adored Susan for her kindness and generosity -- and they will deeply miss her big smile, quick laughter and warm hugs.

Susan is predeceased by her late husband Dr. James Peter Keating and infant son Matthew Anthony Keating. She is survived by son Thomas Peter Keating, daughter Amy Keating Foote (Christopher), sisters Gretchen Kemmer, Molly Roberts (Christopher), and Carolyn Oliver (Kenneth Anderson).

Memorial contributions may be made to The Sierra Club Foundation and the ASPCA.