Drew Keegan Compassion Fund

“When you have loved deeply that love can grow even stronger after the death of the person you love.” 

― Henri  Nouwen 

 This fund is established to honor the life of Andrew “Drew” Keegan, our beautiful and compassionate son—also a brother, grandson, nephew, godson, cousin, colleague, and friend. Drew is deeply loved and profoundly missed. Though the reality of his murder is anguishing and painful for us, we know that love continues and abides as we carry Drew’s loving spirit in our hearts. 

 Through this fund we will support evidence-based, non-profit programs that help emerging adults build emotional resilience, mental health and well-being skills. Like so many adolescents and young adults, Drew struggled with depression and anxiety.  Given his love of the outdoors, his rescue cat Leon, and his foodie passions, we especially hope to support wellness programs that intentionally include pet, nutrition, and/or nature therapy. Drew’s spirit will always guide our decisions as we honor the meaning of his life for the benefit others.

 We invite all who knew and love Drew to contribute to this fund, along with those who want to support our family in this way. (Instructions are at the bottom of this page.) Financial contributions of any amount will be greatly appreciated. In addition to, or instead of financial contributions, we hope that family and friends will continually be inspired by Drew’s beauty, compassion, love and light. 

This poem by John O’Donohue (from his book, To Bless the Space Between Us) exquisitely captures our deep faith and hope: 

Though we need to weep your loss, 
You dwell in that safe place in our hearts, 
Where no storm or night or pain can reach you.

Your love was like the dawn
Brightening over our lives
Awakening beneath the dark
A further adventure of colour.

The sound of your voice
Found for us 
A new music 
That brightened everything.

Whatever you enfolded in your gaze 
Quickened in the joy of its being; 
You placed smiles like flowers 
On the altar of the heart. 
Your mind always sparkled 
With wonder at things.

Though your days here were brief, 
Your spirit was live, awake, complete.

We look towards each other no longer 
From the old distance of our names; 
Now you dwell inside the rhythm of breath,
As close to us as we are to ourselves.

Though we cannot see you with outward eyes, 
We know our soul’s gaze is upon your face, 
Smiling back at us from within everything 
To which we bring our best refinement.

Let us not look for you only in memory, 
Where we would grow lonely without you. 
You would want us to find you in presence, 
Beside us when beauty brightens,
When kindness glows 
And music echoes eternal tones.

When orchids brighten the earth, 
Darkest winter has turned to spring; 
May this dark grief flower with hope In every heart that loves you.

May you continue to inspire us: 
To enter each day with a generous heart.
To serve the call of courage and love 
until we see your beautiful face again, 
in that land where there is no more separation, 
where all tears will be wiped from our mind,
 and where we will never lose you again.

“We never lose our loved ones. They accompany us; they don’t disappear from our lives. We are merely in different rooms.”   ― Paulo Coelho 

Fund Administrators

• Deborah Donahue-Keegan
• Kevin Keegan

Donations

CharitySmith accepts donations in two ways:

The above Memorial Fund is established as a division of Charitysmith Nonprofit Foundation (EIN 87-0636433). All donations are tax deductible in accordance with federal tax law. Receipts for tax purposes are sent via US Mail within two weeks of donation. Please consider asking if your employer participates in a gift-matching program. If so, your donation may be matched by your employer.

For questions regarding your donation or this memorial fund please contact CharitySmith.