Howard Keeter

Howard Junior Keeter

October 19, 1922 ~ July 27, 2014

Howard Junior Keeter was born October 19, 1922 to Howard Karl Keeter and Vena Cleo Janes, in Ogden, Utah. He passed away on Sunday, July 27, 2014 of natural cause at 91.

He attended Ogden City schools, graduating from Ogden High School in 1940. While at Central Junior High School and Ogden High School, he played football and basketball. He was Captain of the ’39 football team at Ogden High School, and part of the 1940 State Basketball Championship team, and was chosen as the first team member of the state All-Star Team. He went on to play basketball at St. Mary’s College in California for two years before enlisting in the US Army in 1943. He served in the Army Corp of Engineers, building bridges and roads in Burma and India during World War II. He was honorably discharged after the war and returned to Ogden.

He attended Idaho State University’s School of Pharmacy on the GI Bill, and graduated as a pharmacist. He owned his own drug store - Howard’s Drug on 26th Street in Ogden for many years. He then worked for Vince Tassone at Vince’s Pharmacy and the Hospital Drug. He finished his career at the Stop and Shop Pharmacy in Ogden. After retirement, he and his old teammate, Dick Tuscan, built pizzas for Tony Tuscan at Tony’s Pizza.

He took up fishing, and spent many hours enjoying the outdoors with another old friend, Jack Payne. He was an avid fan of all sports, following Weber State football and basketball, as well as the Utah Jazz basketball team. The friendships he forged on his sports teams carried on and he remained in close contact with his teammates throughout his life.

He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

For 48 years, he gave tender and daily care and completely supported his widowed mother until her death at age 101, fulfilling completely his father’s deathbed request. Though he had no children of his own, he honorably and faithfully fulfilled the role of Father by raising a niece and nephew (Shanna and Todd) from a very young age, as his own. Officially, he was Uncle, but in every sense of the word he was Dad to them. His selfless dedication to his mother and his two "children" will never be forgotten.

Howard was a man who always put the needs of others first and never worried about his own. Gave to so many and wanted nothing in return. God bless him.

He is survived by his brother, Larry Keeter (Ruby); nieces MariDee Upp Brown, Shanna Keeter Forsey (Dan) and nephews L Todd Keeter (Lisa); Mark, Lori, Marty, Clayt and Sean; great-nieces and nephews, Lisa and Karen, Andy and JJ, Ryan, Karyn, Braden, Jonathan, Stephen and Alyson; Monique, Alisha and Kevin; as well as great-great nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Marian Louise Keeter Upp, and nephew, Gregory Darrell Upp.

He is loved and we will miss him greatly and his dry sense of humor that always kept us smiling, right up to the end.

As per Howard’s wishes, this announcement is after the fact. His interment was at Lindquist’s Washington Heights Memorial Park on Wednesday, July 30, 2014 at 11 a.m.