Kathleen O’Keefe, who founded the Phnom Penh Post along with her former husband Michael Hayes, has died.

Ms. O’Keefe, who was 54, passed away on Monday morning after a nine-month battle with cancer, according to her obituary in the Boston Globe newspaper.

“Kathleen touched the lives of many people, in Asia, Africa, the US, New Zealand and Europe,” the obituary says. “In lieu of sending flowers or gifts to her family, please carry out acts of kindness to others in memory of Kathleen and in keeping with her spirit and nature. Love is the answer.”

Ms. O’Keefe and Mr. Hayes founded the Phnom Penh Post, the first English language newspaper in Cambodia, in 1992.



O'Keefe, Kathleen Anne Found peace early Monday morning, aged 54, after nine months of illness which she faced with her customary backbone of steel.

Wife, friend and a bright shining star to Jason Barber. Daughter of Joe and the late Lenora O'Keefe, and much more than a sister to Michael, Janice, Mark, Jennifer, and Karen, as well as to Jules and Michael in New Zealand. Loved aunt of Georgia, Sam, Leigh, Jennifer, MacKenzie, Brady & Caroline, who all brought immeasurable joy to her life.

Kathleen touched the lives of many other people, in Asia, Africa, the US, New Zealand and Europe. There will be a private cremation, followed by a memorial service at a later date. In lieu of sending flowers or gifts to her family, please carry out acts of kindness to others, in memory of Kathleen and in keeping with her spirit and nature. Love is the answer. - See more at: http://m.legacy.com/obituaries/bostongl ... OERFt.dpuf




Kathleen (with red scarf and sunglasses) during a visit to a polling station in Kampong Speu province, Cambodia, in May 1993.

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/6727/p ... nder-dies/

Dead from cancer at only 54. Sounds like she had a good go during her 54 years, though.

Respect.

A farewell to Kathleen
Thu, 4 December 2014
Michael Hayes

Kathleen Anne O’Keefe was the co-founder of the Phnom Penh Post. On December 2, she passed away due to complications from pancreatic cancer after a nine-month struggle with the disease. She was only 54.

Without her noble and tireless efforts the newspaper would never have gotten off the ground, would not have survived for so long and would not have become the respected publication it quickly developed into, both loved and feared throughout Cambodia and around the world.

In the heady days of 1992, after we received permission to open a newspaper, Kathleen took charge of an endless number of tasks needed to get off the ground: setting up a computer system; rewiring our building as power lines were all shot; installing a generator as blackouts were constant; training Cambodians how to use computers as they had never seen one before; sorting out the production and printing process; creating the necessary paperwork to sell ads and follow revenues; sorting out a distribution network; repairing broken printers by herself as nobody in town could do it; and getting telephone landlines – a process that required about 20 visits to the MPTC. The list goes on and on and on.

We were riding the whirlwind back then, charging head on into totally uncharted waters in a country that was still at war.

It was frenzied, chaotic and nerve-wracking, and we were flat out 24/7. It was also the most exciting adventure in which either of us could ever possibly imagine being involved.

...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/analysis-a ... l-kathleen