Cecil Keller

Celebration of Life Services: Will be held on Friday, April 3, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. at the Stuart-Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church in Stuart, Iowa. A luncheon will immediately follow the service at the church.  The Steen Funeral Home in Greenfield is in charge of the professional arrangements. 

Visitation: There will be no visitation. 

Memorials: To Cecil Keller memorial fund to be established by the family. 

Cecil Wayne Keller was born April 2, 1930, the son of Arthur and Grace (Phillips) Keller in Adair County, Iowa. He passed away on Monday, March 30, 2015, at the Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa, at the age of 84.

Cecil graduated from Stuart High School in 1948. He started at Iowa State University in 1949, joining the Navy ROTC program. He graduated in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering with a commission of Lieutenant JG in the United States Navy. He met and married Donna Lucille Vore in 1952, and was ordered to report to Bremerton, Washington in December 1952, where he served two years aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown during the tail end of the Korean War where his deployment took him to Yokosuka, Japan; Manila, Phillipines and the Tachen Islands off the coast of China. During his time in the Navy, Mr. Keller achieved the rank of full Lieutenant. He was honorably discharged in 1955. He was retired from Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, Sunnyvale, California where he worked for 43 years.

During his life, Cecil served in many functions for his church where he sang in the choir for many different churches in California, Texas and Iowa. He served on the Board of Directors of the United Methodist Retirement Foundation in Santa Clara, California where he helped build two multi-unit retirement facilities. He was a lifetime member of the American Legion where he served as both Chaplain and Post Commander for the Legion Post 564 in Santa Clara. Mr. Keller also served as the President of the Wolf Creek Home Owners Association in Lakeside, Texas until he moved back to Iowa in November of 2014. During his years in California, Mr. Keller hiked all but one mile of the John Muir Trail which extends the length of California following the peaks of the Sierra Mountains.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Jack Keller Sr. and Raymond Keller and Richard Keller; and his wife, Donna Lucille.

He is survived by his sister, Ethel Handley of Greenfield; his two daughters, Kathy Keller of Greenfield and Karen Kwon (Jim) of San Jose, California; granddaughters, Jennifer Kandratowicz (Dave) and Lea Dennis of San Diego, California; grandson, Gene Croy (Rachel) of Farmers Branch, Texas; great granddaughter, Eleanor Krandratowicz of San Diego, California; and many generations of nieces and nephews spread across the United States.