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Annabelle Keys

Annabelle Lee “Annie” Keys, 92, gracefully passed away at her home on Friday February 16, 2018. She was born September 23, 1925 in Fairmont, West Virginia, a daughter of the late Ava Phillips and Carl White and stepfather Cecil Phillips.

She graduated in 1944 from the Buckhannon-Upshur High School and then WVU where she graduated in 1948 with a degree in Physical Education and Athletics. She taught school in Ashtabula and later became certified in Special Education and loved working at Robert Bycroft School from 1965 until she retired in 1995. She often mentioned how much she loved her students and their families.

Annie loved square dancing, clogging, and country line dancing. She also loved to bowl and enjoyed spending time with her friends in the bowling leagues.

She was a wonderful mother and taught her children to love others as she did. She leaves behind four children: Jerry Keys and his wife, Cheryl, of North Carolina, Leanne Keys of East Liverpool, Susie Diego and her husband, Bob, of Huntington Beach, California, and Linda Harrington and her husband, Brian, of East Liverpool.

She is also survived by six grandchildren who she adored: Steve “Pete” McVay, Jason Welch, Ava Marie Welch, Beth Diego, and Madison and Bayli Harrington. She also leaves behind seven much-loved great-grandchildren: Caiti, Sean, Declan, and Daniel McVay, Devin Conkle, Jadin Welch, and Blaire Welch. She will always be remembered as being patient, kind, gentle and willing to help. She was a joy to all those in her life with her quirky sense of humor, her childlike spirit, and her ease at dancing through life.

She was preceded in death by her former husband and father of their children, H. Chan Keys.

Jeff Diddle will conduct a Celebration of Life memorial service at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, February 24 at Hope Christian Fellowship Church, 13320 Route 7, Lisbon.

In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may take the form of contributions in care of Community Hospice, 2341 East State Street, Salem, Ohio 44460. Their care, love, and support were invaluable.

View Annie’s memorial webpage and express condolences online at www.dawsonfuneralhome.com.

2/17/18