ADELINE JOSEPH CARNEY,
known to those who loved her as Ada, Momma Keets, or Grandma Keets, was born in 1943. Yes, the year you are reading is correct and since we have told her secret we are awaiting our punishment which may come in the form of a practical joke from above at any time. She moved to the United States in her twenties from Malaysia, and later earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She was an accomplished artist and felt comfortable in a wide variety of mediums. Her love was her art, which she shared by teaching others to draw, paint, and sketch, especially cherishing art sessions with her grandchildren. If she taught you art she loved you and if she painted your portrait she adored you. She had an accomplished career with The Help Hospitalized Veterans Program as a Craft Care Specialist, where she contributed to the health and wellness of our Veterans and brought joy to their daily routine.
Adeline loved to laugh and engage in practical jokes. In fact, before obtaining her U.S. citizenship by ways of naturalization, she would often show her children her green card and joke that she was an alien. If you were lucky enough to be subject to one of her pranks, the situation would end in hysterical laughter for you both.
Serendipity and Cupid brought Adeline and her husband Jules together as they met on a walk to Waterworks Park in the Hillcrest area of Little Rock. A single question - “Do you know the way to the Waterworks Park?” turned into a two-and-a-half hour walk, but as Jules likes to say, this walk continued for 32 lovely, fulfilling years. Over the years they laughed, loved, traveled, explored the culinary world, and continued to add new friends, who quickly became like family.
Only few have her treasured curry recipe that she cooked regularly for her children growing up. She loved having a good curry night, surrounded by family. Arrival at your house meant there was a food bag to follow, filled with her must haves and goodies for the grandkids. Later, Jules earned her approval for his version of curry with no measurements, of course.
Propagating wide varieties of plants also filled Adeline’s spare time and brought her joy. She was skilled in the ability to turn a small cutting into a large, thriving plant. Many of Jules’ and Adeline’s evenings at home were spent enjoying a home cooked meal and adjourning to the back patio to admire the plants and sit and chat with drink in hand.
The pride Adeline had in her children and grandchildren was immeasurable. Just before her untimely passing she was able to visit her children and grandchildren and continue to share herself through art, cooking, and laughter. Her legacy will live on through her husband, children, and grandchildren as they paint and craft, gather for curry nights, and laugh as they share stories of Keets and how she changed their lives forever.
Adeline leaves behind her husband, Jules; brother, Tan Sri Dato’ Edgar Joseph Jr.; sister, Esther (Richard) Tucker; son, Dr. Sterling (Dr. Christine) Rooke; daughters, Roxanna Ramey and her fiance, Bill Atherton, Catherina (Adam) Malmquist, and Dr. Heather [Ben] Johnson; and a total of 13 grandchildren.
A celebration of Adeline’s life and art will be held this spring.