Blanche Keeney

Blanche Keeney of Massapequa died December 7.  She was 99.  Born of Czech immigrant parents, Frederick and Anna (nee’ Homolka) Ruchar, Blanche, her older brother Fred (“Laddie”) and sister Antoinette (“Tonche”) grew up on the family dairy farm in the Depression era Catskills, in Andes, NY.

She lived and worked as a bank clerk in post-WWII Manhattan. There she met her future husband, Francis (“Frank”).  They married in 1948 and moved to Massapequa where they settled for their lifetimes.  In 1967, they bought the William J. Hofmann Insurance Agency from the founder’s heirs.  Over the next twenty years, they grew the business and their family.

Affectionately called “Ma,” she is the matriarch of a loving and far-flung family.  Her daughter Eileen Ciccone and husband Mark reside in Duxbury, MA; son Robert and wife Kathleen live in Sayville. They gave her seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren:  Christine Snyder, husband Dana and daughter Vivian of North Hollywood, CA; Caroline Ciccone and partner Christopher Smith of White Stone, VA;  Michelle Ciccone, partner Christopher Liberato and newborn daughter June of South Deerfield, MA; Amanda Proust and husband Yohann of Toulouse, France; Michael and wife Christina of Massapequa; Elizabeth Garritano, husband Vincent and daughters Aria and Gabriella of Patchogue; and David of Baltimore, MD.

Blanche was predeceased by her husband of almost 46 years, Frank, in 1994.  Her sister Tonche, and several nieces and nephews also survive her.

Blanche loved her family.  Her secondary love was anything Disney.  But her real passion was the Golden Era of film-making. For Ma, any film made in color started with a negative review.  At her death, she was the proud owner and custodian of over 3000 DVD’s of old films. The greatest for her was Gone with the Wind.  Her film icon was Clark Gable.