Paul John Keating

Paul was the youngest of Eugene and Marilyn Keating's six children. Born on September 13, 1976 "Little Little" was much loved. Soon after Paul was sleeping through the night, his Grandpa Tom Murphy requested Paul's bassinet be placed in his room and each night Grandpa would sing Paul old Irish songs as he went to sleep. As a toddler Paul would enjoy breakfast with each member of his family, even if that meant eating three or four breakfasts. His big blue eyes and smile were only a little smaller than his 26-inch waistline at age two. In his early childhood he shared a room with his oldest brother Matt who would play his favorite music and then quiz young Paul on the song, artist, and album. Chances are few of his kindergarten classmates knew that "Won't Get Fooled Again" was track four on the "B" side of "Who's Next?" by the Who, but it may have been this early exposure to 60's and 70's music that led to his life long love of Bob Dylan music and classic country music. Paul attended St. Croix Catholic through 8th grade. He generally enjoyed school. It was in these early formative years he became a Minnesota Vikings fan, often shedding copious tears after the loss of a big game and if you remember much of the Vikings in the 1980's you know there were a lot of tears. He graduated from St. Thomas Academy (played football and ran track) in 1994 and then followed his brother Gene and sister Eileen in attending Thomas Aquinas College in Ojai, California where he made wonderful lifelong friends. The warmth of the California sun in January was enough to convince Paul that he belonged there. After graduation in 1998 and a brief stint in construction, he entered the film industry working on everything from special effects, doing voiceovers, filming, and directing, but spent most of his career editing. He worked for the NFL network for a number of years, and as a part of the interview process he was tasked with creating a "Best of" montage of a football player. Paul was assigned Brett Favre. This was a difficult assignment for a lifelong Viking fan who wasn't 100% convinced that the 2009 NFC Championship game wasn't a part of an evil conspiracy (if you know, you know). Paul made the requested montage, but with a twist. It was the "Best Interceptions and Sacks of Brett Favre". He said at the time he would either get the job or be banished from the industry forever. For the last several years Paul has worked independently on a variety of projects but was always willing to help-out a friend by videoing and editing a wedding or a baptism. He enjoyed movies and had an appreciation of what it took to make a good one. In his career, worked with some of the biggest stars in the industry, but remained unaffected and always preferred an evening with friends, a friendly game of poker or just a good walk along the ocean. Paul had a gift for seeing the humor in situations, whether it was the old beat-up Ford Granada he drove in high school (zero to 60 in just under 2 minutes and it only caught fire three times) or when his favorite barbershop in LA was shut down since it was a front for the Russian mob. Paul's dry wit and huge heart made him loved by so many. His California friends tell the story of when they were riding the Catalina ferry and Paul struck up a conversation with a man he'd never met on the ferry. The man confided to Paul he was wearing leg weights and planned on jumping overboard. When the man suddenly tried to jump overboard Paul caught him and held onto him until others came and helped him haul the man back to safety. Paul spent the rest of the ride speaking with the man and stayed with him all the way to shore where help was waiting. Many shared stories of Paul being there for them at some of their lowest moments. He cared deeply about people and although he could wax eloquent on the gifts and virtues of another, Paul had a hard time taking a compliment and would quickly try to steer the conversation in a different direction. His humor, his heart and kindness will be deeply missed. Paul leaves behind five heartbroken siblings Matt, Eileen Douglass, Marguerite O'Meara, Gene, and Joe, fourteen nieces and nephews, many relatives and good friends. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, December 23, 20222 at the Church of St. Michael, 611 S. 3rd St., Stillwater, MN 55082. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday at Simonet Funeral Home, 6429 Osgood Ave. N., Stillwater and also one hour prior to the Mass at the church. Burial will be at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights, MN.

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