Photo: Boston Police Department
BRAINTREE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) – Funeral arrangements have been made for a Boston Police officer who died during the blizzard on January 29.
Relatives and friends of John O’Keefe have been invited to attend visiting hours on Sunday from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Braintree. A funeral mass is scheduled for Monday at 11:30 a.m. also at St. Francis of Assisi. A burial will follow in Blue Hill Cemetery.
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O’Keefe served as a Boston Police Officer for 16 years. He was born and raised in Braintree and graduated from Braintree High School. He later studied at Northeastern University and earned a master’s degree in criminal justice from UMass. O’Keefe died at age 46.
“John was the loving uncle and guardian of Kayley and Patrick Furbush of Canton," an obituary from the Cartwright-Venuti funeral home read. “A devoted son, brother, uncle, godfather, cousin and friend, John will be sorely missed by all who were blessed to have known him."
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O’Keefe’s girlfriend Karen Read is currently facing charges of manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene of a collision causing death. Prosecutors say Read and O’Keefe, who was off duty, went to two bars early the morning of O'Keefe's death and then went home.
Read said she dropped O’Keefe off at his home in Canton around 12:45 a.m., made a three-point turn and then left. However, she said she did not see her boyfriend go back in the house.
According to her attorney, Read started to worry about O’Keefe around 4:30 a.m. after he didn’t come home. She called him several times but got no response. Read pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released on $50,000 bail.
A GoFundMe has been set up in support of O’Keefe’s niece and nephew. The funds raised “will go directly to Kayley and Patrick for their futures.”
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