Nina E. Keating

Nina (“Nan”) Keating was born on May 29, 1928 in McDowell County, West Virginia.  She was the daughter of Paul and Maria Dado, and shared the family home with a younger brother.  She graduated from Concord College; no small feat for a young woman born in the coal fields.  After a stint as a teacher, Nan moved to Washington, D.C., where she met the love of her life, John Keating, a young man from Boston.

The two of them bought a home in Silver Spring, MD and had 3 children.  Like her husband, Nan was a devoted Catholic school teacher, first substituting at St. Camillus School and then full-time at St. Mark’s School.  At St. Mark’s, Nan taught multiple subjects, but her favorites were language arts and social studies.  Her students loved her, and she loved them even more.  She loved for parents and students to come into her room and see the famous Egypt projects from the annual assignment.  Following her retirement from St. Mark’s, Nan would read to the young children at St. Camillus, and was known for helping her son’s friends with college papers and providing a home cooked meal. 

Aside from teaching, Nan was a social butterfly who loved a good gathering.  She had many friends, and liked nothing more than spending time with them. This only increased once Nan moved to Riderwood Village.  She was tough to get in touch with, as she was never in her apartment and seemed to rediscover her college dorm days.  A lifelong Catholic, she enjoyed masses at Riderwood.  She loved her Dallas Cowboys, much to the discontent of some members of the family, and she was always ready to root against the Redskins and Eagles like any real Dallas fan.

Perhaps her most famous role was as grandmom, or great-grandmom, aka “GG.”  She loved seeing her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, going out to lunch or to just going to Kohl’s.  No conversation was too mundane, no story too repetitive.  She loved seeing them and spending time with them, and always had a smile, kind word, and, of course, sweets. She even “adopted” others as honorary grandchildren, particularly friends of her daughters and grandchildren.  Grandmom was always available for a get together, and loved a good time.

All who knew her were touched by her in some way.  She loved them, and they loved her, and that is her lasting legacy.

Nan is survived by her brother, Ralph Dado of Abingdon, VA; her children, Maria Caswell and husband Scott Caswell, of Olney MD, Lisa Burnell and husband Bob Burnell of Nashville TN, and Michael Keating and wife Mary Catherine Keating, of Clifton VA; 9 grandchildren TJ (and wife Melissa), Kristen, Alaina (and husband Rob), Michelle, Bonnie, Adam, Daniel, Eli and Kathleen, and 5 great-grandchildren Blake, Brooklyn, Cassidy, Lacey and Bentley.

Nan was preceded in death by her loving husband John Keating.

She will be interred on December 1, 2020 at Gate of Heaven Cemetery which will be for family only due to Covid-19 restrictions.  Donations may be made to Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of Washington at https://www.catholiccharitiesdc.org/.  

A joyous celebration of Nan’s life will be held at a later date.

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