Thérèse Keenen Pressley

FALLS VILLAGE —Thérèse Keenen Pressley, 70, passed away peacefully on Dec. 12, 2022,  at Hartford Hospital. Thérèse and her husband of 36 years, Steven Pressley, lived in Sharon for 30 years and were currently residing together in Falls Village.

Thérèse was born on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1952, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the 4th daughter of the late George E. and Lucille “Mia” Keenen and the 5th of 8 children overall. Thérèse graduated from Union Catholic High School and was the first music major and one of the first female graduates of Fairfield University in 1974. She settled in Connecticut permanently after graduating. Her lifelong passion for music started at the piano when she was less than 4 years old. She had perfect pitch and was a talented guitarist having also studied classical guitar. She shared her gifts throughout her life, playing coffee houses and festivals in the area in the 1970s, as a music therapist for elderly patients from the ’80 into the 2000’s, and singing at many family weddings and funerals. She also worked for Sharon Healthcare, Noble Horizons and Geer Village over the years.

In addition to her husband, Steve, she is survived by sisters, Kathleen Donohue, Priscilla Egan, Christine Kealy, Elizabeth Keenen, and Mary Jo Hurwitz and her brother John Keenen. Her brother, George “Gek” Keenen III passed in 2021. She was the aunt to 21 nieces and nephews and great-aunt to so many more.

A memorial service will be held in the spring at a date to be determined. Memorial contributions can be made in her name to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Grand Central Station, P.O. Box 4777, New York, NY 10163-4777.