William "Bill" Homard Keetley, Jr.

William “Bill” Homard Keetley Jr., of Havre de Grace, Maryland, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at the Gilchrist Hospice facility in Towson, Maryland. Born on April 4, 1942, Bill was preceded in death by his beloved parents, William Homard Keetley Sr. and Erma (McDougal) Keetley of Port Deposit, Maryland.

A dedicated family man, Bill is survived by his three children: William H. Keetley III (partner Sharon Pierson) of Middletown, DE; Jennifer Renee Ewing (husband Greg) of Port Deposit, MD; and Richard Alan Keetley (wife Jennifer) of Towson, MD. He is also survived by his brother, Kenny Keetley (wife Kay) of Havre de Grace, MD. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Vicky (Keetley) Saylor.

Bill was the proud grandfather of six grandchildren: Morgan Hayden, Zachary Ewing, and Alex Ewing, all of Rising Sun, MD; Cameron Fink of North East, MD; Colton Keetley of Washington, D.C.; and Isabella Keetley of New York City. He was also blessed with four great-grandsons: Noah, Levi, and Oliver Hayden, and Zayne Ewing, all of Rising Sun, MD.

A resident of Port Deposit for over 50 years, Bill held a deep love for local history and was considered by many to be a town historian. He visited town almost daily, regularly meeting up to swap stories at the old Keetley Motor Co. (now Carriage House) or at the Ewing garage. Bill worked day and night for years driving the family tow truck for Keetley Motor Company. He loved sharing his legendary local stories, including the unforgettable night he delivered a baby during a snowstorm in a car on the Conowingo Dam.

Bill served his community with immense pride as Chief of the Water Witch Fire Co. of Port Deposit, where he famously led the fundraising efforts to purchase the town's very first ambulance. Throughout his career, he spent many proud years at Wiley Manufacturing, where he helped construct underwater sections for major infrastructure projects, including the Fort McHenry Tunnel in Baltimore. He later brought his work ethic to Bay Boat Works in North East, MD, where he worked happily until retiring at age 70.

Outside of work, Bill was an avid enthusiast of antiques and auctions, and he looked forward to every holiday and family gathering. Football was another great passion; he was the captain of the football team at the Tome School in the 1960s, playing both running back and linebacker. He later played semi-pro football for the Bel Air Big Red and always loved joking that he was supposed to have been drafted by the Denver Broncos. He remained a loyal, lifelong football fan, cheering first for the Baltimore Colts and later the Baltimore Ravens. Above all else, Bill treasured his family and the memories they made together.

The family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to the staff at Gilchrist Hospice for their compassionate care.

Funeral services will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorial donations be made in Bill’s honor to Gilchrist Hospice in care of Lee A. Patterson & Son Funeral Home, P.A., P.O. Box 766, Perryville, MD 21903-0766.