Katherine Bridget Groves (née Keany) of Bradenton, Florida, passed away Aug. 24, 2026, at the age of 93.
Kathy was born May 14, 1933, in Red Bank, to John James and Ella (Farley) Keany, and grew up in Rumson. The oldest daughter in a family of eight children, she attended Red Bank Catholic High School and graduated in 1951. She attended Dade County Junior College in Miami and became a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), spending much of her career in private-duty nursing. Kathy was deeply devoted to those in her care, nurturing her patients and treating them as though they were members of her own family.
She married Lawrence G. Flannagan Jr., and they had four children: Lawrence G. Flannagan III, Kevin John Flannagan, Marianne Adoryan and Patricia Martin. Their life together took the family from New Jersey to Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Florida.
Later in life, Kathy married Edwin D. Groves, with whom she was married for 17 years. They made their home in Homosassa, Florida, while spending summers in Flat Rock, North Carolina. Kathy was a devout Catholic and active in the church. Her faith remained central throughout her life, while her summers at Bonclarken in Flat Rock also brought meaningful friendships and connections within its community. After Edwin’s death, she continued spending treasured summers in North Carolina, later living in Opelika, Alabama, before moving to Bradenton, Florida.
A world traveler with an adventurous spirit, Kathy delighted in seeing the world, including travels throughout Europe and the Pacific and taking her children and grandchildren on trips to Ireland and to see landmarks around the United States.
She enjoyed bicycling, was a talented bridge player, achieved Grand Life Master with the American Contract Bridge League, and maintained a lifelong love of tennis, continuing to follow tournaments well into her later years.
Strong, independent, wise, generous and caring, Kathy was fiercely devoted to her family. She had high standards, a sharp wit and was never one to keep her opinions to herself. She taught her grandchildren to cook and introduced them to investing and financial planning at an early age, while inspiring independence, curiosity and a love of travel.
Kathy was preceded in death by her husbands, Lawrence G. Flannagan Jr. and Edwin D. Groves; her son Lawrence G. Flannagan III; daughter Patricia (Flannagan) Martin; grandson Kevin A. Flannagan; and siblings, Thomas Keany, John Keany Jr. and James Keany.
She is survived by her children, Marianne Adoryan and Kevin John Flannagan; siblings Bernard Keany, Mary Smith, Helen Pettengill and Paul Keany; four grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and a loving extended family.
Kathy was a special woman, a true matriarch and a loving mother and grandmother whose strength, wisdom, humor, generosity and faith shaped her family in ways that will endure for generations.
Services will be held in the spring of 2027 in Rumson, with burial in the Keany family plot at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Middletown. Online condolences may be expressed at brownandsonsfuneral.com.
The article originally appeared in the September 10 – 16, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
