Public comments offer condolences to the Keating family

Presenter: With a tribute to his late mother at the City Council meeting Jan. 27, Eugene City Councilor Matt Keating:

Councilor Matt Keating: I want to thank Council colleagues and members of our community, friends and family who have offered condolences and warm thoughts and prayers for my mother who passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 2:43 p.m.

[00:00:29] My mom, Kathy Keating, a member of this community, was a force to be reckoned with. Fierce advocate for wolves. Mom loved music and movies and the outdoors and animals and her grandchildren and her three sons who did not deserve such a loving, caring soul, the best human I’ve ever known.

[00:00:58] I’m going through Mom’s things after surrounding her and showering her with love on Tuesday at Pete Moore Hospice House, which, I have nothing but great things to say about Pete Moore Hospice, by the way.

[00:01:12] I found a poem she wrote, dedicated to my brothers. And without objection, Mayor, I’d like to read it tonight.

Broken Planet

Can you hear her cry? Birds falling from the sky.
Got to feed those lush green lawns. Got to have the weeds all gone.
What could possibly go wrong?

Scraping, dumping, building landfills, creating scores of toxic dead hills,
Oceans dying before our eyes. Why can’t people see the lies?
What could possibly go wrong?

Birds falling from the sky, can you hear our planet cry?
Can you hear her cry?

Wolves and salmon, eagles too, not many left, what will you do?
Rivers, streams and lakes so low, water’s precious, don’t we know?
What could possibly go wrong?

Flooding quakes and wildfires, freedom criers, climate deniers,
rainforests being decimated, see the hell we’ve now created.
What could possibly go wrong?

Birds falling from the sky, can you hear our planet cry?
Can you hear her cry?
Can you hear her cry?

[00:02:37] Written by mom 5/27/2023 for Matthew, Michael, and Mark. Thank you, mom. I love you. (Applause.)

[00:02:54] Presenter: During the public comment period, Zach Mulholland:

[00:02:57] Zach Mulholland: Councilor Keating, thank you for reading the lovely poem and we all feel for you.

[00:03:02] Presenter: Lisa Arkin:

[00:03:02] Lisa Arkin: And I wanted to thank Councilor Keating for sharing memories of his mother and also say these comments in acknowledgement of her touching poem and her repeated question, ‘What could go wrong?’

[00:03:18] Presenter: Tai Pruce-Zimmerman:

[00:03:19] Tai Pruce-Zimmerman: I want to first publicly reiterate my condolences to Councilor Keating and to your family for your loss and thank you for the poem that you read earlier.

[00:03:30] Presenter: Dylan Plummer:

[00:03:31] Dylan Plummer: I want to start by offering my councilor, Councilor Keating, my condolences for the passing of his mother, and a thank you for that beautiful poem.

[00:03:40] Presenter: Karen Michele:

[00:03:41] Karen Michele: Mr. Keating, I did want to say to you (beyond my condolences) you said that you had a mother you didn’t deserve. I have a sneaking suspicion she wouldn’t agree with that. I think she would say she got just the children she wanted.

[00:03:55] Presenter: Councilor Matt Keating:

[00:03:56] Councilor Matt Keating: Thank you to all who shared your condolences and kind words. On behalf of my whole family, it means so much.

[00:04:05] Presenter: Councilor Matt Keating invites friends to join the family in loving memory of Kathy Keating, Saturday Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. at St. Jude’s Catholic Church.