Dallas

Friends, Family Prepare to Lay Beloved Pastor, Wife & Daughter to Rest

Pastor Eugene Keahey, his wife Deanna and daughter Camryn died in a house fire Feb. 28

Friends are preparing to say their final goodbyes to a beloved North Texas pastor and his family.

Pastor Eugene Keahey, his wife Deanna, a former educator, and their 15-year-old daughter Camryn will be laid to rest next week.

They were found after a house fire in Cedar Hill last Thursday.

What caused their deaths remains a mystery.

Police said the fire is suspicious and have opened a criminal investigation.

"You don't want to believe anything of that nature. I mean, to be honest if I can tell the truth, I still now dial his phone number just thinking that hey, you know, this is going to be a joke," said Chris Faggins, a pastor and longtime friend.

Faggins said he knew Keahey for 24 years and considered him a best friend and mentor. 

"He was actually my middle school teacher," Faggins said.

He said Keahey also ordained him as a minister.

Faggins said he last saw Keahey two weeks before the fire, when they met for coffee at Starbucks.

"Like any other time, he was full of laughs, full of smiles, encouraging me to push on as he does with many ministers," Faggins said.

Were appearances deceiving?

A month ago, Keahey changed his Facebook cover photo to a picture with the words "we all have secrets."

And about 30 minutes before the fire, he posted a vague message referring to "this difficult time in my life."

Police said the fire was suspicious and were investigating it as a criminal matter, after they found evidence inside the home that "points to the possibility" it wasn't an accident.

Fire Marshals with the state and Cedar Hill continued work to determine a cause of the fire.

The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office said the cause of the three deaths was pending.

"For me, I need answers," Faggins said. "I think a lot of people are looking for answers."

A memorial service for all three family members will be held next Saturday, March 16 at 12 p.m. at Antioch Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas.

Contact Us