Florine M. Cobbs Keatley

Published 3:16 pm Wednesday, November 24, 2021

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Florine M. Cobbs Keatley, age 101, of Irvington, Virginia, passed away on Nov. 23, 2021 at the hospice center at Rappahannock Westminster Canterbury (RWC).

Florine was born on Oct. 17, 1920 in Clanton to Walter and Pearl (Bates) Mims and grew up with six brothers and sisters in Thorsby. 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, West Virginia. They settled in the railroad town of Hinton, West Virginia, where they raised two daughters, Frankie Jo and Elizabeth Diane. Several years after Frank’s death in 1963, Florine married Joseph Keatley, a former mayor of Oak Hill, West Virginia, where they lived until his death in 1980.

Florine moved to Irvington in 2005 after living in Midlothian, Virginia and Okeechobee, Florida. She was active in Methodist church, a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, 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 mens’ Nintendo Wii darts team, which she led to a championship victory.

She is survived by her daughters Frankie Polidoro (Joe) of Colebrook, Connecticut and Diane Whitten (Harrison) of Kilmarnock, Virginia; grandchildren Joe Polidoro (Noreen) of Sarasota, FL and Jane Page of West Hartford, Connecticut; five great-grandchildren; and three great-great grandchildren.

The family would like to thank the outstanding staff at RWC for their care and compassion throughout Florine’s last years.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your favorite charity in Florine’s name.