JOHN (JACK) LAWRENCE KEITH,

93, of Little Rock, died peacefully on January 7, 2021. John was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, the seventh of nine children born to William J. Keith and Margaret Agnes (Joyce) Keith. At the age of 15, he began working part-time in a local paper mill. Although he was anxious to serve his country in World War II, at his mother’s insistence, he remained in school and graduated from Holy Rosary High School in Holyoke. He then enlisted in the Army and spent two years in occupied Germany, where he acquired the nickname “Jack.” He later attended Officer Candidate School, served in the Korean War, and spent time in Colorado, learning survival skills and setting up military exercises while assigned to a training unit.

After he left the Army, the GI Bill allowed John to obtain a civil engineering degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He found his calling as a resident engineer at project sites and spent several years at LeMessurier Associates in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he worked on many projects, including the Federal Reserve Bank, John Hancock Tower, and Boston Aquarium. He loved to travel and eventually worked on projects in Colorado, Texas, Asia, and the Middle East. When he wasn’t working, he hiked and camped extensively, using the skills he learned in the Army during winter backpacking trips.

While working in Boston, John met and married Nancy Jeter, who accompanied him on his work abroad. They eventually settled in Little Rock, her hometown, where he worked for the Army Corps of Engineers until retiring at the age of 74. He returned to the workforce twice for temporary projects, holding his last position at the age of 80. He spent his retirement enjoying his grandchildren. He maintained his love of the outdoors to the end and never gave up his walks around the neighborhood, even when he had to use a walker.

John was preceded in death by his parents; brother, William Keith; and sisters, Mildred Agnes Fallon, Mary Keith, Eleanor Keith, Ann Monica Rusinak, Margaret Joyce Brassil, and Agnes Joyce Horne. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Carolyn (Jeter); daughter, Sarah Keith-Bolden, and her husband, Jason Bolden; daughter, Shannon Keith Costello, and her husband, Schuyler Costello; grandchildren, Alexander and Hannah Bolden and Annora and Neil Lawrence Costello; brother, David Keith, and his wife, Peggy; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

In light of the pandemic, a private funeral service will be held for John’s family at First Presbyterian Church of Little Rock. Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 800 Scott Street, Little Rock, Ark., 72201, or the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org). Arrangements are under the direction of Ruebel Funeral Home. RuebelFuneralHome.com