Joseph M. Keefe; College Professor

Joseph Marlow Keefe, a former Santa Paula resident, has died at the age of 59.

Keefe, who died April 26 at his home in Los Angeles, was a botany professor at Glendale Community College.

He was born Jan. 19, 1942, in Santa Paula to Bernard and Helena Keefe. He grew up in Santa Paula and graduated from Santa Paula High School in 1960.

He went on to graduate from UC Santa Barbara in the 1970s with a master’s degree in biology. His thesis was on peonies.

He had a long career with the biology department at Glendale Community College and often taught blind and disabled students there. He and his students had planted a hillside at the college with many varieties of native and exotic plants.

He also enjoyed traveling around the world, gathering specimens of plants and insects. On one trip, he hitchhiked through Africa and more recently brought back many plants from the Amazon in South America.

Keefe had been a member of several motorcycle clubs and “Being Alive,” a support group for HIV survivors.

In addition to his mother, Helena Keefe of Santa Paula, he is survived by brothers John Keefe of Ventura, Michael Keefe of Modesto, George Keefe of Mission Viejo and Robert Keefe of Santa Paula, and sisters Margaret Doke of Sacramento and Helen Keefe of Iowa City, Iowa.

A memorial service is scheduled at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Sebastian’s Church in Santa Paula.

Memorial donations may be sent to the Glendale Community College biology department, care of Ron Harlan, 1500 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale, CA 91208.