Keilly Elizabeth Pike of Wellington passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 17. She was 17. A student in the communication arts program at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Keilly passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her parents Steve and Brenda Pike, grandmother Sarah Hibdon Breckon and brother Zachary Pike.
Also mourning her loss are her maternal aunt and uncle and cousins, as well as an extended family in Missouri. She will be laid to rest next to her grandfather at Dooley Cemetery in Eldon, Mo., among generations of relatives. Her paternal grandparents James and Elaine Pike of Wichita, Kan., and aunts, uncles and cousins also mourn her passing.
Keilly was a gifted writer and wrote many short fiction pieces. She was an avid reader, too. Her favorite book series was Harry Potter, and she also loved historical fiction. Keilly’s personal doll collection will be sold to aid Haitian children, as was her wish.
Keilly held many state level and local level offices as a member of the Fifer George Weissenfels Society Children of the American Revolution: state chaplain, state recording secretary, state historian and state librarian as well as society president. Keilly traced her genealogy back to America’s earliest settlers.
As one of the few children diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme 4, Keilly participated in several cutting-edge clinical trials at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., and the University of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in Ohio.
She also participated in the organizing walk for brain cancer awareness held this past spring at John Prince Park in Lake Worth and loved watching her 20 “big sisters” play softball for Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.
Over the years, Keilly won many school awards for writing and grades. She attended several schools in Palm Beach, including Discovery Key Elementary School and Wellington Christian School. She was a past member of Wellington Presbyterian Church and had been attending Christ Fellowship Church as her health allowed. Keilly was part of a collection of “Hope Stories” published online through the Mayfield Clinic at the University of Cincinnati. She will be remembered by her friends for her humor, quiet resolve, brains and beauty.
All condolences should be sent to the Pike family c/o Brenda Pike, 10655 Oak Bend Way, Wellington, FL 33414. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Keilly’s name be sent to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.; the Musekamp Family Hope Lodge in Cincinnati; or the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida in Fort Lauderdale.
1993 - 2010 (17 years)
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