Obituaries - Rita Keller Carney

Rita Keller Carney, 92, of Murrells Inlet, SC, passed away peacefully on Monday August 11, 2025. 

Rita was preceded in death by her husband Daniel (Dan) Joseph Carney, grandson, Jakob Tiessen, and son, Daniel Charles Carney (Leslie).

She is survived by daughter Susan Carney (Robert Wenger), granddaughters Julia Tiessen (David Ziff), and Shannon Carney (Mike Winters), grandson Daniel Thomas Carney (Kaitlin), brother Charles Keller, and great-grandchildren, Roman Tiessen Ziff, Katherine and John “Jack” Daniel Winters, and Arthur Daniel Carney.

Rita was born on August 25, 1932, in New York, NY, to Wilhelmina (Heinemann) and Karl Keller.  She was a first generation American, the oldest of two children.  She was shaped by a close-knit family and circle of friends in a community of predominantly German immigrants.  

In September 1954, she and Daniel (Dan) Joseph Carney were married, a marriage that lasted 68 years until Dan’s death in April 2023.  The couple raised their family, daughter Susan and son Daniel, in Hawthorne, NY.  

Family and friends will remember Rita for her love of cooking, baking, and entertaining. Rita and Dan’s home was a gathering place for warmth, hospitality, and joyful holiday celebrations.  Rita always made everyone feel welcome and took great joy in making everyone feel at home.

In their retirement, Rita and Dan moved to Andes, NY, where they lived for over 30 years. Throughout her retirement, Rita volunteered weekly at the library in Andes, was involved in the Catskill Ladies Investment Club (CLIC), and with the “Stitch Witches”, a group of women interested in fiber and textile arts (sewing, quilting, knitting, crochet, embroidery, etc.) She was always willing to lend a hand when asked to participate in various community activities.

Rita will be remembered for her kindness, generosity, and deeply caring heart, cherished by her family, friends, and all who knew her.  May Rita’s memory live for a blessing.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September, 20, 2025, 11:00 a.m. at the Hynes Funeral Home in Andes, NY, followed by interment at The Andes Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a charitable donation in Rita’s memory:

• Andes Emergency Squad (PO Box 112, Andes, NY, 13731) 

• Special Olympics (www.specialolympics.org) 

• St. Jude Children’s Hospital (www.stjude.org)