IRVINGTON—Florine M. Cobbs Keatley, 101, of Irvington, passed away on November 23, 2021, at Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury.
Florine was born on October 17, 1920, in Clanton, Ala., to Walter and Pearl Mims and grew up with six brothers and sisters in Thorsby, Ala. 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, W.Va. They settled in the railroad town of Hinton, W.Va., where they raised two daughters, Frankie Jo and Elizabeth Diane. After Frank’s death in 1963, Florine married Joseph S. Keatley, former mayor of Oak Hill, W.Va., where they resided until his death in 1980.
After living in Midlothian and Okeechobee, Fla., Florine moved to Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury (RWC) in 2005. Florine was an active member of the Methodist church all her life, was 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, Conn., and Diane Whitten (Harrison) of Kilmarnock; grandchildren, Joe Polidoro (Noreen) of Sarasota, Fla., and Jane Page of West Hartford, Conn.; five great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.
The family thanks the outstanding staff of RWC, Hospice of Virginia, and the members of the Kilmarnock United Methodist Church, Kilmarnock, for their care and compassion throughout Florine’s last years.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your church or favorite charity in Florine’s name.
