William "Buzz" Keaton

William "Buzz" Keaton Passed away peacefully at his home in San Rafael on January 7, 2019 surrounded by his wife and six daughters. Buzz is survived by his wife, Joan, and six daughters. He leaves behind Laura, Sue (Henry) Solorzano, Terry, Kate, and Kelly (Joe) Calabrese; daughter-in-law Erika and Jennifer (Ted) Baumsteiger; as well as 21 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his son, William, "Buz", who died in 2005. Buzz was born on May 21, 1933 in San Rafael to William and Olivia Keaton. He was the second of three children. Buzz attended St. Raphael's Elementary School and was in the second graduating class of Marin Catholic High School. After high school, Buzz enlisted in the Navy. Upon returning home, Buzz married Joan (Garvey) in May 1954. Early in his career, Buzz worked for Pac Bell but found his true calling in 1963 when he joined the Marin County Sheriff's Department. In 1977, he headed up the Major Crimes Task Force. He finished his career as Undersheriff under his former partner, Charles Prandi. In 1989, he retired after 25 years of service. After retirement, Buzz continued many interests, including fishing, traveling, golf and working around the house and garden. He and his wife completed many coast-to-coast road trips as well as trips to Europe. He also enjoyed his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, entertaining them with his wonderful stories from the police force. Buzz's faith was established early in his life, growing stronger over the years. After retirement, he attended daily Mass with Joan and both were very active at St. Raphael's Church. One of Buzz's happiest memories was in September 2017 when he managed to assemble his entire family for one epic family reunion. He gathered all family members from places as far away as New York and Florida a day to be remembered for years to come. A vigil will be held at St. Raphael's Church on Thursday, January 17, at 7 p.m. A funeral Mass will be held at St. Raphael's Church on Friday, January 18, at 2 p.m. Buzz will be laid to rest next to his beloved son, Buz, at Cypress Hill Memorial Park in Petaluma on Saturday, January 19th. Buzz faced his cancer with courage and faith. Donations in Buzz's memory may be made to Hospice of Petaluma or St. Raphael's Catholic Church in San Rafael.

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