Obituary of Mortimer B. Keats

MORTIMER B.KEATS 1911-2009 Schenectady, New York Mortimer B. Keats, 98, passed away on November 30, 2009, at Kingsway Arms. Mort was born on January 21, 1911 in Brooklyn New York to Samuel Katz and Dora (Lester) Katz. His loving wife, Freda, predeceased him in 2005 after 66 years of marriage. He is survived by his son, Roy (Susan) of Niskayuna, his granddaughters, Rachel (Erik) Osborn of Portland Maine, and Sarah also of Portland Maine. He is also survived by his sister Daisy Reiner of Brooklyn, NY. Mort put himself through undergraduate college working nights and weekends. He received a BS from Brooklyn College in 1935, and an MA from George Washington University in 1939. Mort worked for almost 20 years with the Federal Government in the Washington D.C. area. These positions included the U.S. Treasury Department, the Census Bureau, and the Department of the Navy where he worked on testing of rocket components. After that he worked for the General Electric Company starting in Utica, New York with quality assurance programs relating to the Atlas missile. He then worked for GE at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in Niskayuna for many years. He retired from there in 1976 as the Manager of Product Assurance working to ensure the quality of nuclear reactor components used in the nuclear Navy. After retirement he and Freda moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. They spent over 25 years in Arizona, and loved it there. After Freda passed away, Mort returned to Schenectady to be closer to family. Contributions may be made to the Congregation Gates of Heaven, the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York Chaplaincy Program, The Community Hospice of Schenectady, or the charity of your own choosing. Memorial services will be at Congregation Gates of Heaven, 852 Ashmore Avenue, Schenectady on Sunday, December 13 at 2 PM. Interment will follow at the Congregation's Cemetery.