In Memoriam: Bob Keller

Robert H. Keller of Bellingham died on Feb. 26 at Hospice House. Born in Portland, he grew up in Olympia and Tacoma where he worked as a truck driver while attending the University of Puget Sound. Bob married Kathleen Jones in 1956. Graduate study at the University of Chicago brought a Ph.D. in church history (and daughter Cheryl).  His campus career started at Olympic College in Bremerton (daughter Donna), then moved to Western Washington University where he taught primarily at Fairhaven College from 1968 to 1994.  Following divorce from Kathleen in 1977, he married Patricia Karlberg in 1985.  Bob and Pat’s mind-heart combination formed an indelible aspect of Fairhaven College during that time. 

Teaching at Fairhaven allowed classes ranging from the Grand Canyon to the Columbia River, Native American history, Forests, basic mountaineering, Supreme Court history, and death and dying.  In 1980 he received Western’s Distinguished Teaching Award.  Bob also taught in Western's History Department and in the Huxley College of the Environment. After “retiring” he continued to teach through Extended Education up through 2016, including a class co-taught with Donna. He delivered presentations throughout Washington State on Paul Robeson and Japanese Internment though Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau, and coordinated adult learning forums at Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship. While authoring and co-authoring books and writing numerous articles plus letters to the editor, Bob practiced life-long learning – he was continually reading as well as a providing a constant supply of articles for others to read.

Bob’s approach to learning (such as ask questions, consider multiple perspectives, read, write, listen to music, experience, think) and his support of students led to life-long connections that deeply enriched his life as well as his former students. Team teaching 15 – 18 credit courses with Rand Jack created especially memorable experiences.  Just a few other Keller landmarks were the William O Douglas Symposium (1969), the Initiative 256 Bottle Bill (1970), support of the Bridge Project, his defense of a “self-love” class, (1976), a prolonged series of letters running in the faculty staff newsletter, establishing the Kathleen Keller scholarship fund, attending Gilbert and Sullivan performances, and rarely (if at all) driving a car to College during his 26 years of teaching.

Bob both walked and talked his beliefs, a strong environmentalist who loved wilderness travel.  During retirement, Bob and Pat have traveled widely in the U.S. and Europe, with a home base in the Black Forest that allowed meeting up with Cheryl who lives in Europe and with many other family and friends. What started as a faculty house exchange in 1995 led to trips back to Germany every other year including a few with their dog Nigu plus friends from European visiting them in Bellingham.  Three times he hiked across the North Cascades, and hiked and climbed around Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier.  Bob and Pat traversed the Brooks Range in Alaska, and he was in the Grand Canyon 30 times, twice hiking rim to rim in one day.  He served nineteen years on the Whatcom Land Trust board of directors which included editing the book Whatcom Places. He loved being at his Cascade River property, ensuring its protection through the Skagit Land Trust.

Everything ends (including this obituary). The time comes to “cross that lonesome valley.”  Bob’s death and green burial was just as thoughtful and remarkable as his life.  He was deeply loved by his family and friends and will be greatly missed.  He is survived by his wife Pat, his daughters Cheryl and Donna (Michael Johnson), and his stepchildren Doug (partner Jennifer Hill), Ken (Lisa), Bryn (partner Rueben Baca), his niece Susan (Shawn) and nephew Randy (Nika), along with seven granddaughters and two great-grandchildren.  You may visit his “natural” grave in the Meadow at Greenacres Memorial Park in Ferndale.

A memorial service will be held on April 8 at 2:30 p.m. at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship. In lieu of flowers, you may make donations to the Robert Keller Scholarship at WWU, Whatcom Hospice House, or the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship.