James Keller

Mr. James J. Keller, 87, of Chatham Virginia, formerly of Greensboro, North Carolina, died Saturday, August 13, 2011 at Lynchburg General Hospital in Virginia. A crypt side service will be held in Greensboro at 2:30 Saturday, August 20th at Lakeview Memorial Park, with the Reverend Elizabeth Darling officiating. He will be laid to rest beside his beloved wife, Betty. The family will receive friends from 12 to 2 pm Saturday prior to the service, at Lambeth-Troxler Funeral Home, 300 W Wendover Avenue. Mr. Keller was born December 16, 1923, in Milwaukee Wisconsin, to Peter and Agnes Kopecky Keller. He was married to the late Betty Jane Klimt for 49 years. Those who knew him will always remember him as a very dedicated and wise family man who loved his wife and children and extended family. He started his technical career as a teenage ham radio operator. He went on to work for AC Spark Plug and IBM before becoming a field electronics engineer for Western Electric Company, where he worked for 30 years. He enjoyed most his work on radar tracking of launches for telecommunications satellites at Cape Kennedy, FL in the 1960's. His job took him all over: from Milwaukee WI to Chicago IL; Oklahoma City OK; West Islip Long Island, NY; Seattle and Tacoma WA; Chester, NJ; Titusville FL; Burlington and Greensboro NC. He loved traveling, and upon retirement went on a three year road trip with his wife Betty to see even more of this country. After she became ill, he lovingly cared for her at their home in Knoxville for three years until she died in 2000. He later moved to Chatham VA. He was known for his passion and talent for fixing anything broken, from plumbing to laser printers, his relentless tracking of and engagement in current events, his dry sense of humor, his total absence of political correctness and his unfailing love and support for his family. He shared his lively curiosity and love of learning with his children, and saw all five of them graduate from college. In addition to his parents and wife, Mr. Keller was preceded in death by brothers Kenneth and Peter. He is survived by his daughters, Susan Riegel (Mark), Patricia Darling (Jonathan), and Carol Muehrcke (Eric); sons, Glenn Keller (Mary) and Steven Keller (Dannette); brother, David Keller (Diane); grandchildren, Elizabeth Riegel, Julia Riegel, Joseph Darling, Kathryn Darling, and Jacqueline Keller. Memorials may be made to The Salvation Army at http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf