KEATING

Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Saturday, September 23, 2006 at 06:40:11 :

Independent Journal
Monday, October 8, 1984

THOMAS KEATING, former Marin judge, dies at 79

Thomas F. Keating, a former state senator and Marin County Superior Court judge, died Saturday at Marin General Hospital after a long illness.

He was 79.

“He was a wonderful judge, a wonder family man,” aid Warren McGuire, a Marin Superior Court judge who served with Keating for about 10 years. “I think everybody who dealt with him thought him to be top quality. We all will miss him.”

The courts will adjourn in his memory for a few hours Wednesday during Keating’s funeral.

“Tom Keating was an able judge, but, more importantly, he was a good man who had compassion, especially for the disadvantaged,” said Roger Garety, former Marin district attorney.

Attorney William O. Weissich of San Rafael was the prosecutor for Keating’s first trial on the Marin bench.

“I saw him right from the beginning to his retirement,” Weissich said. “He was a great gentleman, fine judge and great public servant to the people for many years. I very much regret to hear of his passing.”

Judge Keating was a member of a pioneer Marin family. His grandfather, Richard Keating, crossed the plains from Connecticut in 1862 and settled in Ignacio as a dairy farmer and later became Ignacio’s first postmaster.

The judge’s father and mother were both sheriffs of Marin County. His father, John J. Keating, worked for the North Pacific Coast Railroad. In 1910, he was elected to the first of five terms as sheriff. On his death in 1929, county supervisors named his widow, Ellen, to finish his term.

Judge Keating was born in Sausalito and attended local schools before earning his law degree at the University of California in 1931.

Upon graduation, he joined the San Rafael firm of Freitas, Duffy and Keating.

In 1936, he was elected to the state Senate, where he served until 1951. During this period, he authored bills for construction of the Waldo Grade approach to the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. In addition, he played a key role in adding land to Mount Tamalpais State Park and establishing Samuel P. Taylor State Park.

He joined the Marin bench in 1950 and served for 22 years, almost three times as long as any of his colleagues at that time. He retired in 1972.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret; three sons, Thomas F. Keating of Sleepy Hollow, Richard Keating of Novato and James Keating of Bear Valley, Calaveras County; two daughters, Kathleen Keating of San Rafael and Susan Keating of Santa Cruz; and three grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Raphael’s Church in San Rafael. Burial will be at Mount Olivet Cemetery in San Rafael.

The rosary will be recited at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Raphael’s Church.

The family prefers memorial donations to St. Vincent’s School for Boys or to a favorite charity.