Dr. Rip L. O'Keefe

Rip L. O ’ Keefe (Louis George O ’ Keefe), 78, died after a brief illness at his home on Hilton Head Island on February 21, 2022.  He was surrounded by his wife of 53 years, his three children, and his two sons-in-law.

Rip was born to Louis George O ’ Keefe and Patricia Behrman, on April 9, 1943 in Pompton Plains, New Jersey.  He was the oldest of five children.  He met his wife, Beth Egan O ’ Keefe, in graduate school at St. Louis University where they both received PhDs in clinical psychology.  Beth and Rip moved to the Quad-Cities of Iowa-Illinois in 1971 where they spent their entire professional lives.  Rip was the founder and Director of Riverside Retreat, an alcohol treatment facility. He wrote “ The Sober Living Workbook,” published by Hazelden, which was used by alcohol treatment programs throughout the country.  Rip also consulted with the Davenport police department for many years.  In the early 1980s, Rip joined Beth at Southpark Psychology, a large outpatient mental health facility in Moline, Illinois, which she had founded.  They stayed there until they sold the practice in 2013 and moved to Hilton Head Island where they had vacationed with family for years.

Much of Rip ’ s life was dedicated to the study of the mind and meditation and he was an avid gardener.

Rip and Beth loved animals and for almost forty years lived on a “ mini-farm” in Coal Valley, Illinois.  They bred and showed Irish Setters under the “ Vineyards” kennel name.  Rip was especially proud of Ch. Vineyards Bad Boy, who was the top Irish Setter and No. 4 Sporting Dog in the country in 2005. Bad Boy moved to Hilton Head with Rip and Beth.

Rip is survived by his wife and three children:  Kelly (Nadim) Salfiti of Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Casey  O ’ Keefe (Katharina) of Mannheim, Germany; and Quinn O ’ Keefe (Nathan Erickson) of Bethesda, Maryland.  He is also survived by one granddaughter, Serena Salfiti.

Services will be private.