Cordelia Marie McKeown's Obituary
Cordelia Marie (O’Brien) McKeown, 88, passed away on July 6, 2026, at her daughter Mary's home, surrounded by her loving family.
Raised in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, Cordelia was known to her friends and family as De or DeDe. As little girls, her older sister, Marianne, struggled to say "Cordelia," and the nickname stuck.
Most recently, De lived at the Lodge at Truitt Homestead in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Before moving to Delaware earlier this year, she was a resident of the Sanatoga Ridge Community in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. A social butterfly, De embraced the opportunities in both communities to make friends and join in the fun whenever possible.
Before that, De spent many decades in Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, where she and the love of her life, her husband, Edward (Ed), raised their five children in a house full of love, joy, humor, and chaos. De and Ed shared a great love story that lasted more than 40 years. She never stopped missing Ed, but she carried his love with her as she built a full new life for herself after his passing.
In addition to being a fun-loving and devoted wife and mother, De spent more than 50 years as a registered nurse after receiving her nursing education at Gwynedd-Mercy, where she trained under the guidance of the nuns in the 1950s. During her highly successful career, she took great pride in providing capable and compassionate care to people struggling through some of their darkest days.
Even in retirement, De continued that work. After Ed died, she became a "bus nurse," accompanying severely disabled children and providing skilled nursing care along the way. The job gave her purpose and direction during that chapter of her life and reflected the competence and compassion that defined her.
De was also funny, strong-willed, generous, and endlessly devoted to her family. She loved flowers, getting dressed up, casinos, trivia nights, and, somewhat hilariously, elevator music. She also loved entertaining and made friends wherever she went.
One of the things her loved ones will miss most was her knack for finding a different way to do things—inventing life hacks before they had a name. For example, if she needed jewelry to match her outfit, a little nail polish on a repurposed pendant would do the trick.
De was preceded in death by her husband, Edward McKeown Sr.; her parents, Mary and Dennis O’Brien Sr.; and her brothers, Dennis Jr. and John.
She is survived by her sister, Marianne.
De leaves behind her children: Mary and her husband, Drew; Edward (Eddie); Dennis and his wife, Priscilla; James and his wife, Sandy; and Clare and her husband, Bruce.
Her grandchildren and step-grandchildren include her namesake, Cordelia and her husband, Timothy; Mara; Lauren and her husband, Lalo; Jake; Conor; Philadelphia (Philly) and Ariel; Shauna; and Eric and his wife, Rachael.
Her legacy continues through her great-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren: Reese, Theodore (Teddy), Blake, Luna, and Willow, as well as many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Parsell Funeral Homes 16961 Kings Highway, Lewes Delaware 19958. A private burial will be held by the family at St. Matthew’s Cemetery in Conshohocken. A celebration of her life for family and friends will be held on what would have been her 89th birthday, July 25, 2026.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Tri-County Area Active Adults Center (TRAAC), where she spent many happy hours socializing, singing, playing dominoes, doing chair yoga, and enjoying her favorite TRAAC activity – drumming. Contributions will help TRAAC continue providing opportunities for connection, activity, friendship, and joy to other older adults in the community.
Donations can be made here: https://tricountyaac.org/support_the_traac/donate-now/
Gifts can also be made for the benefit of her son Edward McKeown Jr. (Eddie) through a PA ABLE Plan, a tax-advantaged plan that helps those living with disabilities save for future expenses. Edward was the light of his mom’s life, and she loved him fiercely and unconditionally. Gifts may be made through the PA ABLE Ugift® program using Ugift number: W5B-39V at https://www.ugiftable.com, or learn more about PA ABLE's gifting program at https://www.paable.gov/gift/.
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