George Cregan Keady Jr.

The Honorable George Cregan Keady, Jr., 95, son of the late Marie (Lussier) and George Cregan Keady, Sr., and grandson of Judge Patrick Keady, died peacefully at his home surrounded by his family on July 10, 2019. Born in Brooklyn, NY in 1924, Judge Keady was a prominent member of the Springfield, MA legal community after graduation from Fordham University in 1949 and Columbia Law School in 1950. Judge Keady began his career as an associate for Ganley & Crook 1950-53 and Peter D. Wilson 1953-57, soon becoming a partner of the firm Wilson, Keady & Ratner 1958-79. From 1979-82 he was a Special Justice of the District Court, Springfield, Massachusetts, and from 1982-93 he was Justice of the Superior Court, of Massachusetts. From 1993-2007, he was a freelance mediator and arbiter. He retired fully in 1993. In 1970, he was central in the Development of Western New England Law School where he served as Dean from 1970-73, and received an honorary doctorate in 1973. Other distinctions include Director of Western MA Bar Review 1956-63, 1965-72; Chairman Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. 1977-80; Member Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct 1988 and Chairman 1990-93; Active United Fund, Springfield 1950-72, Joint Civic Agencies; Chairman fund drive American Cancer Society 1962; Selectman, Longmeadow, Massachusetts, 1958-68, for which he was Chairman 1960-61, 63-64, 66-68, and Town Moderator 1968-73; Vice chairman Republican Town Committee, Longmeadow 1956-60; Alternate delegate Republican National Convention 1960, delegate 1964; President Hampden District Mental Health Clinic, Inc., 1968-71; Child Guidance Clinic, Springfield, 1962-64; Corporator, Trustee, Chairman of the Board Baystate Medical Center, 1985-87, serving as a trustee, 1984-92, 1994-99 and Chairman of the Board Baystate Health Systems 1987-90; Trustee Western New England College 1978-84; Trustee Baypath University, 1972-87; Trustee Baystate Health Systems, 1993-98; Director BHC 1993-2007. Judge Keady was a member of the American Law Institute, the MA Bar Association, and the Hampden County Bar Association, for which he was the Commissioner 1960-79, and its President 1965-67; Member of the Supreme Court Historical Society, The Longmeadow Country Club, and Phi Delta Phi. Judge Keady enlisted with Army of the United States, 1943-46 and became 1st sergeant and recipient of the Bronze Star for heroism. George Keady is survived by his wife Patricia (Drake) whom he married in 1950, his daughter Margaret (Bucky) Keady and her husband James Larkin, daughter Marie E. (Betsy) Keady and husband Mark L. Smith, son George C. Keady, III and wife Jacqueline, daughter Catherine Ann and husband Anthony D’Allesandro, and daughter Kathleen and spouse Gail Epstein Mengel, and well as eight grandchildren, David Keady and wife Dorothy (Malkin) and great grandson George Arthur, Maxwell Goldberg, Hannah Goldberg, Caroline (Keady) Blain and husband John Blain, Cameron Keady, Tara Keady, David Dunn and wife Emily, Patricia Mitnaul and husband Isaiah. A Mass of Christian Burial for Judge Keady will be held at 11AM on Friday, July 12, 2019 at St. Mary’s Church, 519 Longmeadow, MA with a private burial following. There will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in George Keady’s memory to Baystate Health Foundation, 280 Chestnut St., Spfld., MA 01199 and/or Western New England Law School, 1215 Wilbraham Rd., Spfld., MA 01119. Forastiere-Smith Funeral Home, East Longmeadow has been entrusted with arrangements. For online condolences please visit www.forastiere.com.