Elizabeth Keys (LAW ’20), a D.C. attorney and proud Georgetown alumna, died on Jan. 29. It was her 33rd birthday.
Keys was a passenger on American Airlines flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas which collided with a Black Hawk Army helicopter just before landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport. All 67 people aboard the plane and the three members of the helicopter’s crew died as a result of the mid-air crash.
A Cincinnati, Ohio native, Keys attended Tufts University, where she was a proud member of the varsity sailing team before graduating in 2014.
In 2020, Keys earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, where she met her partner, David Seidman. She served as the managing editor for the Georgetown Food and Drug Law Journal.
“It’s hard to imagine the hole that Liz left will ever be filled,” Seidman said to The Washington Post. “She was such a star.”
Keys is remembered by her friends, family, and colleagues for her encouraging nature.
“She pushed everyone, including me, to be the best version of themselves and take risks,” Seidman said to The Washington Post.
Keys was an attorney at Wilkinson Stekloff, a D.C.-based law firm. She and co-worker Sarah Lee Best were returning from a business trip to Kansas at the time of the crash.
Keys was known for giving back to her community and was recognized for her pro-bono service achievements by the D.C. Court of Appeals’ Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll in 2023.
Several co-workers left heartfelt messages on the firm’s “In Memoriam” page dedicated to Keys and Best. Colleagues remember her as caring, always looking to help, and a role model.
Keys is survived by her parents, Mary and Martin Keys, and her partner, David Seidman.
“She loved deeply and was deeply loved,” Mary Keys wrote in a statement to WLW Television in Cincinnati. “Gatherings were always better when Liz was there; she was filled with light and joy.”
Keys is remembered as fearless, always embracing life. She enjoyed frequent ski trips, relaxing on Hawaii beaches, and spending time with her loved ones.
“Words cannot express how deeply Elizabeth, my Bitsy, will be missed,” Mary Keys wrote. “We are filled with unbearable sorrow and despair at our loss.”
