KEATLEY
Florine M. Cobbs Keatley, age 101, of Irvington, VA, passed away on November 23, 2021 at the hospice center at Rappahannock Westminster Canterbury (RWC). Florine was born on October 17, 1920 in Clanton, AL to Walter and Pearl (Bates) Mims and grew up with six brothers and sisters in Thorsby, AL. She graduated from Thorsby Institute, where she excelled at math and sports.
Florine met her first husband, Frank B. Cobbs, at a baseball game in Beckley, WV. They settled in the railroad town of Hinton, WV, where they raised two daughters, Frankie Jo and Elizabeth Diane. Several years after Frank’s death in 1963, Florine married Joseph Keatley, a former mayor of Oak Hill, WV, where they lived until his death in 1980.
Florine moved to Irvington in 2005, after living in Midlothian, VA and Okeechobee, FL. She was active in Methodist church, a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, an accomplished gardener, loved the natural world, and was especially adored by her family and friends for her cooking and hospitality. She played cards and board games to win, even with her grandchildren; and she remained athletic through her 90s, when she was recruited by RWC’s men’s Nintendo Wii darts team, which she led to a championship victory.
She is survived by her daughters, Frankie Polidoro (Joe) of Colebrook, CT and Diane Whitten (Harrison) of Kilmarnock, VA; grandchildren, Joe Polidoro (Noreen) of Sarasota, FL and Jane Page of West Hartford, CT; five great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.
The family would like to thank the outstanding staff at RWC for their care and compassion throughout Florine’s last years.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your favorite charity in Florine’s name.
Information submitted by the Currie Funeral Home, LLC of Kilmarnock, VA.
