JERAMIAH “JERRY" KEENON
Jeramiah J. Keenon, 39, of Huntley, IL, formerly of Burlington, IL, departed this life August 11, 2022.
Jeramiah was born July 23, 1983, the son of Joseph and Tracy (Malm) Keenon. He was truly an “old soul” in a young body. At an early age, Jeramiah had a voracious appetite for learning. He quickly developed a deep love, understanding, and appreciation for music and reading. These interests, coupled with his quick wit and ability to make people laugh, would shape the man he became in life. Jeramiah attended Burlington Central High School, where his love of music led him to sing and play guitar in a band, formed with friends, called “Soma”. His desire to help people led Jeramiah to serve as a Firefighter/Paramedic on the Burlington Community Fire Protection District for 17 years and later as a Tissue-Authorization Specialist with Gift of Hope in Itasca, IL.
Jeramiah met Laura Marie Stubits while working as EMT’s in 2005. Jeramiah’s charm and caring nature caught Laura’s eye and soon they began their life together. Their similar interests and passion to help and serve others, fostered a beautiful relationship of 17 years. Jeramiah and Laura married on October 13, 2018. Their honeymoon to London, England was the trip of their lifetime. Jeramiah played a pivotal role in supporting and guiding Laura throughout their lives together. Jeramiah’s knowledge and wisdom allowed Laura to achieve her degree in nursing where she plans to carry on with Jeramiah’s legacy.
Jeramiah had a wicked sense of humor and took great pleasure in heated debates on a wide variety of topics. He was also a fierce defender of the people he loved. He was born with a willingness to give of himself without a second thought and extended his light and kindness without regard to himself. He had an infectious laugh and spirit that lifted others up. He will not be forgotten. The loss of our son, brother, husband, son-in-law, brother-in-law, nephew, cousin, first responder, and friend will forever leave a hole in this world. Even in the end, he was still giving and donated himself to The Gift of Hope.
Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Laura Keenon, parents, Joseph and Tracy Keenon, sister, Candice (Jeff) DeRoo, Laura’s family, Michael, Cynthia, and Samantha Stubits, his nephew, Dylan, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
A Celebration of Life will be on August 27, 2022, from 12:00-5:00 pm at the Burlington Fire Department, 154 S Street, Burlington, IL. A short memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm followed by an Honor Guard walk through at 4:00 pm. To honor Jeramiah’s unique sense of style and love of music, feel free to wear your favorite band t-shirt and casual dress attire.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Burlington Fire Protection District or the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
For further information please contact the funeral home at 847-515-8772 or online condolences may be directed to www.defiorefuneral.com
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My first Grandson. Jeremiah, the world feels emptier without you. May you know how loved you were and are.
Please accept my deepest condolences in the loss of Jerry. While we worked together for a little over 2 years in tissue authorization at GOH, our shared experience in the fire service earned us the title of brothers on Day one. I will never forget him or our regular conversations. He will forever remain in my heart.
Laura- please accept my deepest condolences in the loss of Jerry. He was a kind, helpful, and funny guy. He helped me when I first began working at Gift of Hope. He had a sense of calmness that surrounded him and a deep appreciation for people. He will be missed by many. Sending you and your family so much love during this difficult time. Xo
Jerry was my EMS coordinator at Burlington. He was the one who took a chance on me and got me into firefighting and 911 EMS. He was tickled pink to see me reading a physical copy of the paper on one of my first shifts, sparking a long conversation about literature and his degree collection. He cared so much for the community, and continued to show his dedication to helping others when he left Burlington for GoH. The world has lost an incredible, passionate man. My deepest and most sincere condolences to his family
Jerry was a great teacher, and a great friend. We spent nights at the firehouse talking about music and movies for hours. It seemed he knew exactly what to say, when to say it and how to fix things just in time. He was a wonderful person, firefighter, paramedic and friend. Jerry will be greatly missed and I hope that everything I learned from him can be brought to the next generation as well.
My unca was one of the nicest funniest and smartest people I knew. I was closer to him and than anyone and I knew I could always tell him anything.
Again, so heartbreaking, sorry. I have no words. Wish I could be there on Saturday.
Laura, you have our deepest sympathy with your loss. Our Heart and Prayers are with you and Family. We did get to meet your Jerry , again Hold all of your memories Dear.
Dear Laura and family, there are no words to express my condolences for the tremendous loss of Jerry. I am so so so sorry. Please know you have countless people lifting you up and sending thoughts of peace and comfort. Jerry was infectious and I am so fortunate to have worked with him at GOH. He was a teddy bear and had such an easy way about him that brought joy to those around him despite the challenging work that we do. You will continue to be in my thoughts. Thank you for sharing Jerry with us.
I was so sad to hear of Jerry’s passing. I remember him as a funny high school kid making music in my basement with my son,,Jon, and others. When Jon told me years ago that Jerry was an EMT, I was so proud of him. He chose a life of service. There are many people alive today because of Jerry. You have our family’s deepest condolences. .