Friends remember Pat Keady

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - After battling a lengthy illness Pat Keady died at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. She was 62. Pat Keady was a fixture behind the bench of the Purdue basketball team supporting her husband. Gold and Black-dot-com's Alan Karpick has known Gene and Pat Keady for more than twenty years.

"There was no one like Pat Keady. She had a one of a kind personality. She would tell you what she thought. She was also an emotional and sensitive person," said Karpick.

Gene and Pat Keady were married in 1981. Karpick said the two shared a very close relationship and Pat had a tremendous influence on Gene.

"All the big decisions in press conferences Pat's name would always come up because he would always want to defer to her...to discuss it with her," said Karpick.

Purdue men's basketball play-by-play announcer Larry Clisby said people might be surpised to know Pat Keady could dissect a basketball game as well as a coach.

"Pat was not a behind the scenes wife at all. She was strong-willed and she could be outspoken from time to time. I know his attachment to his wife was very real and very important to him. It's a huge loss really," said Clisby.

A public visitation for Pat Keady will be held Thursday from 4:00-8:00 p.m. at Soller-Baker Funeral Home's Lafayette Chapel.

A private funeral service is set for Friday at 10:00 a.m., at Soller-Baker.

In lieu of flowers, Coach Keady requests that donations be made to the Red Dress Women's Heart Foundation, P.O. Box 7827, West Trenton, N.J. 08628.

Cards can be sent to the the Purdue Men's Basketball Office in Mackey Arena.