Florence Ann Keathly

Florence Ann Keathley entered into the presence of God surrounded by her loving family on Sunday, April 14, 2024 at her home in Brentwood, Tennessee at the age of 81.

Florence was born May 7, 1942 in Tacoma, Washington to Philip Lawrence Paulsen and Elizabeth Helen (Schaler) Paulsen. One of her earliest memories is of the jubilation following VJ Day and the end of World War II. She was raised in Portland, Oregon, where she was a doting big sister to younger siblings, Dale and Sharon.

Upon graduation from Wilson High School, Florence attended Emanuel Hospital School of Nursing in Portland and received her RN license.

Subsequently, she ventured cross country to Washington D.C., becoming a nurse at D.C. General Hospital. It was at church in her D.C. neighborhood that she met the love of her life, Phil Keathley, a naval officer from Wetumka, Oklahoma.

Following their wedding and Phil’s naval posting in Alameda, California, they moved to Athens, Georgia where Phil earned his Ph.D. at the University of Georgia and daughter, Laura, was born. They then established their home in California for 38 years where they welcomed son, Craig. Florence became a full time homemaker and a loving and supportive mother to her two children. Most recently, she and Phil lived 14 years in Tennessee where they celebrated 56 years of marriage.

Florence accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior as a child, and she served joyfully in her church’s children’s ministry as Sunday School and Wednesday night teacher for many years. She attended Bible Study Fellowship for several decades, serving as a teacher in the children’s department.

For 15 years she served as a counselor at Modesto Crisis Pregnancy Center helping single moms receive the education and resources necessary to successfully care for their babies.

Florence’s main hobby was service to church, community, and family. She loved to cook for her family, including big Sunday noon dinners. She loved to care for children including her 11 beloved grandchildren. She loved to plant flowers and beautify her yard.

For many years, she canned quarts upon quarts of fruit, vegetables, pickles, relish, salsa, and laid up pints of various flavors of jam. Family

was always her number one priority, and she loved people well.

Florence is preceded in death by her parents, Philip and Elizabeth Paulsen and her in-laws, Luster and Stella Keathley.

She is survived by her husband Jackson Phillip Keathley of the home; daughter Laura Blomberg and son-inlaw, Sven, of Brentwood, Tennessee; son Craig Keathley and daughter-in-law, Krista, of Elkton, Maryland; brother; Dale Paulsen and sister-inlaw, Cecilia, of Sherwood, Oregon; sister, Sharon Hurley, and brother-in-law, Mel, of Turner, Oregon; brother-inlaw, James Keathley and sister-in-law, Charlie Belle, of Benbrook, Texas; sister-in-law, Julia Keathley of Wetumka, Oklahoma; 11 grandchildren, Daniel, Jeremy, Jedidiah, John, Stella, Elsa, Annaliese, and Lucy Blomberg all of Brentwood, Tennessee, and Devon, Carrie, and Melina Keathley of Elkton, Maryland.

Graveside service will be 10:00 am, Saturday, April 20th, at Lamar Cemetery with Pastor Joe Lunsford officiating.

Interment will follow at Lamar Cemetery. A Celebration of Life service will be held on May 11th in Nashville, Tennessee.

Services are under the direction of Hudson Phillips Funeral Home, Holdenville, Oklahoma.