Patricia Plake Keeney

 Patricia Plake Keeney, 93, of Overland Park, Kansas passed away peacefully on December 4, 2024.

 Born Patricia Jean Plake on May 17, 1931 in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Nancy and Frank Plake, Patricia was a woman of remarkable strength, intelligence and resilience throughout her life. She faced many challenges and overcame numerous obstacles with a steadfast spirit, maintaining a joyful attitude and a deep kindness toward everyone she encountered. Patricia‘s love of music was a defining feature of her life. She earned a music scholarship from the University of Kansas where she pursued her passion for voice and piano.

 In Kansas City, she met and married John Norton Thayer in 1950. With him, she had three children – Linda Diane, David Norton, and John Matthew. Following their divorce, she married Jack Sinclair Keeney, Sr. in 1959 and together they had one son Jack Sinclair Keeney, Jr.. A gifted musician, Patricia spent decades sharing her talents as a piano and voice teacher, offering instruction, coaching and guidance to many students who went on to win local music competitions. As a member of the Kansas City Music Teachers Association, Patricia continued teaching well into her 80s leaving a lasting legacy in the community. She was also a professional musician and band leader, performing for many years in Kansas City and Chicago. Her home was always filled with music and she instilled a love of music in her children, ensuring they all studied piano.

 Patricia’s creativity was boundless. She became a licensed pilot and competed in the Powderpuff Derby, a national women’s pilot race across the country. Later she found a new passion in photography, first capturing weddings and pets, and eventually focusing her lens on the beauty of nature in her own backyard, photographing birds and insects. She also pursued writing, contributing articles to local publications and almost completing a children’s book about the wonders of her backyard wildlife. An avid lover of the outdoors, Patricia found peace and joy fishing and spending time on the water, a passion she had cultivated as a young girl. She purchased a small house at Lake Pomme de Terre where she enjoyed many weekends with her son Jack Sinclair Keeney, Jr. surrounded by nature. Patricia also traveled to the Southwestern United States, captivated by the majestic landscapes and wildlife. 

Patricia was a fiercely independent woman who raised her children on her own, navigating the ups and downs of life with grace and determination. She will be remembered for her strength, resilience, warmth, and kindness, as well as her boundless creativity and ability to bring joy to all who knew her. 

Patricia was preceded in death by her parents, Franklin and Nancy Plake, her brother, Franklin Plake Jr., her sister, Linda Sparlin, her husband, Jack Sinclair Keeney Sr., and two of her sons, John Matthew Thayer and Jack Sinclair Keeney, Jr.. She is survived by her children, Linda Diane Thayer Nottberg and David Norton Thayer. She also leaves behind her grandchildren, Cecily Lyon Palamara (husband, Mike ), Allegra Lyon Comeau (husband, John), and Max Lyon (wife, Jenny) along with her great grandchildren, Tallulah Palamara, Rhys Palamara, Lazlo Lyon, and Ripley Lyon Comeau, along with many beloved students, friends and extended family who were touched by her life and love. 

She will be sorely missed by all. Her beautiful smile will continue to live on in our memories, and we are all deeply grateful for the gift of music she so lovingly gave. A memorial service will be held Friday, February 28, 2025 at 1 PM at the Johnson County Memorial Chapel at 112th and Metcalf Avenue. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the Cat Care Society, a nonprofit cat rescue and care facility- Catcaresociety.com