John Frederick Keller, age 61, died July 22, 2009, peacefully at his home in Richland, Wash., where he had resided for 13 years. John was born Dec. 11, 1947, in New York City. He grew up in Queens and attended 12 years of Catholic school where he played the comet and participated in the drama program. After he graduated at the age of 17, he joined the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. He served on the destroyer the Robert A. Owens as a fire control technician. After six years of service, he was honorably discharged and used his GI bill to get a Bachelors degree in history and minor in political science from Shepherd College in West Virginia. He then went to work for Biospherics in Rockville, Md., where he met his wife, Laurie. They moved to Baltimore together so Laurie could start medical school and married on Dec. 21, 1977. Two years later they had their first daughter, Jessie. After medical school they moved to Pittsburgh, Penn., so Laurie could do her residency, and when Jessie was 4 ½ John stopped working outside of the home. He devoted the rest of his life to taking good care of Laurie, Jessie and their three other daughters, Phoebe, Marusha and Mackenzie. He was a renowned cook, great debater, loving father, grandfather and husband and a good friend and neighbor.

John is survived by his wife, Laurie Zimmerman; daughters, Jessica Keller, and her husband, Dionicio del Valle, Phoebe Simpson, and her husband, Jason, and Marusha and Mackenzie Keller; grandchildren, Twila del Valle and Oliver Simpson; and brothers, Edward and Richard Keller.'He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Mary Keller; and his sister, Louise Keller.

There will be a memorial service celebrating John's life at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009 at Memories at Sunset Event Center, located on the beautiful grounds of Sunset Memorial Gardens in Richland, WA.

John was a gentleman and a scholar. Donations can be made in his name to the Shepherd University Alumni Association, PO Box 5000, Shepherdstown, WV, 25443-5000.