Rev. William “Bill” Jonathan Keeler, Sr.
Rev William “Bill” Jonathan Keeler, Sr of Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement Community, Quarryville, PA passed away on Friday, July 12th, 2019 and entered into His Heavenly Father’s arms at the age of 94 years old with his beloved wife Mary, and family by his side.
Bill was born on August 15, 1924 in Pottstown, Pa to Bertha Mae (Weaver) & William Russell Keeler. He was the eldest of 6 children.
Bill attended Lebanon Valley College before being drafted into World War II in 1943. Bill joined the 17th Airborne Division and fought in the European Theater. He was part of Operation Varsity. Bill flew into Germany, sitting in a Jeep, in a glider. It was in the Black Forest, in a foxhole during shelling, in several feet of snow that Bill made the decision and promise to do whatever the Lord asked him to do if he made it through. At the end of the war, Bill was in Germany and achieved the rank of Sergeant.
Returning to the states, Bill went back to college and football and graduated with a degree in chemistry and took a job with Firestone as Time Management Engineer.
In the Spring of 1946, Bill met the love of his life, Mary Mauger. They married in August of 1948 and have been married 70 years.
Their daughter, Joan, was born in 1952. They ran a grocery store, Keeler’s Market, in Audubon, PA during which time their son, Bill Jr was born, in 1954. It was in the grocery store Bill was told by the Lord to go into the ministry. Bill & Mary sold the store and Bill attended Lancaster Theological Seminary. While still in seminary, Bill was assigned a United Methodist 3-church circuit near New London, PA. After graduation, he was full-time pastor at Marshallton, near West Chester, PA. Then, in 1966, he began a 15-year pastorate at Memorial Church, in Quarryville followed by 8 years in Telford before he retired in 1989. At that time, he returned to live in Quarryville. During his retirement, he was a visitation pastor at Covenant United Methodist Church for 25 years and part-time visitations pastor for Memorial Church.
When Bill and Mary moved to QPRC in 2014, Bill continued to visit shut-ins and those in need up until late 2018.
Bill enjoyed golfing; he was one of the Charter Members of Tanglewood Manor Golf Club. Phillies baseball, hunting, fishing, woodworking, gardening, card games, and was constantly on the move, taking care of what God entrusted to him. As a youth, Bill earned and was the recipient of the Eagle Scout Award. Later, he was member of the Masonic Lodge. He enjoyed spending time with friends and family, at their cabin in the Poconos and was a steady source of wisdom and encouragement.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Bertha; and brothers – Lester, Donald, Laine, and Raymond.
His legacy lives on as Bill is survived by his loving wife, Mary Keeler, Quarryville, PA; children, Joan Lockard (David) of York Springs, PA and Bill Keeler Jr (Jane) of Quarryville, PA; 5 Grandchildren; 5 Great Grandchildren; and sister, Gladys Whitlatch (William) of Pottstown, PA.
A Celebration of Life for Bill Keeler will be held August 6th at Memorial United Methodist Church, 101 South Hess St. Quarryville, Pa. at 7:00 PM. An opportunity to visit with the family will be immediately after the service.
Kindly omit flowers. (Memorial Contributions can be made in Bills memory to Memorial United Methodist, Quarryville or Covenant United Methodist, Lancaster.
Bill was a good husband, brother, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. His strong, steady love of others was evident in how he lived his life. Bill’s life demonstrates that when the Lord speaks to you, if you answer and follow Him, you can do great things for the Kingdom of God. Reynolds Funeral and Cremation Services Inc., www. reynoldsfuneralhome.net