His boundless spirit moved mountains
Intense from a young age, and sometimes a troublemaker, Keith developed into an extraordinary adult. He grew from a boy with a penchant for graffiti to a hilariously sarcastic man with an encyclopedic mind and a passion for live rock music. Keith had a transcendent voice, striking looks, eye color that altered with moods and seasons, and a beard that carried the scent of cigarettes and sawdust.
He and his partner, Anna, were together for nearly a decade. She witnessed him in all his intensity, and he knew just how to make her feel seen. Keith surprised Anna with a private proposal after New Year’s Eve–a public gesture would’ve mortified her. Anna was watching TV, and when he called her into the kitchen, she found her best friend on one knee, offering a family heirloom ring, declaring, “Our family is all I have ever wanted. I love you and want you to marry me.”
Together, they made that family with their two children, Ryker, and Stella, and it became the center of his universe, so much that he aspired to retire early just to make more memories with them. Holidays were his favorite, and he loved making Christmas especially magical. Stella even jokingly called him Santa because of his fondness for milk and warm cookies, but it didn’t have to be the holidays for him to make special memories. He shared all he loved with his children; like his enthusiasm for fishing. He and Ryker always fished together in the local annual derby. He religiously followed the Grateful Dead through his life and passed his love for live music down by taking his kids to shows. Keith was there for them in large moments and small ones, like curling up with Stella in her twin-sized, snoring away under mountains of stuffed animals. To Anna, Keith was a remarkable father, but by his own standards, he was never the parent he wished to be, and that broke his heart.
Despite dropping out of high school, Keith earned his GED and built himself into a successful contractor, carpenter, and business owner. His skillful woodworking made house repairs effortless, and on a whim, Keith could complete tasks he’d never done before, like building a live water well in his boat for saltwater fishing. Professionally, he worked on beautiful historic buildings, and one of his proudest projects was Hope on Haven Hill, a pregnancy treatment center. Recovery was integral to his work. Keith cared deeply about giving second chances, so he hired people with substance use disorder and designated his business as a recovery friendly workplace.
He assisted others in his personal life, too, listening intently, offering apt advice, and giving life-saving support. One friend called him while attempting suicide, and Keith guided him from it, spending many nights after on the phone with him. That friend is still sober and successful today.
Keith got up every time life knocked him down and elevated others with him. He left an indelible mark on his loved ones and community, and if you ever spot his graffiti tag “GoodZ,” you’re walking through a little slice of the world he touched.
Keith’s partner, Anna Battle, provided the information for this narrative. February 13, 1983-April 5, 2024–Age 41
Portrait Artist: Shawn Faust
Narrative Writer: Willow Kline
