Keith Michael Rand

Keith Michael Rand was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 19, 1952. He was the middle child of five children born to Frank Rand Jr. and Nona Wales Rand.

Keith attended Indianapolis Public Schools, graduating from Shortridge High School in 1970. While at Shortridge, wrestling became his preferred sport, and he competed throughout high school, in college and won an AAU title at 163 pounds while in the military.

Keith began college at Indiana Central College (now University of Indianapolis). When he took a pause in his studies he received an Army draft notice in the summer of 1972. He decided to enlist, which required an extra year in the service but that allowed him to get the training and station of his choice. He attended basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and went on to Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis to train as a finance clerk. After spending 19 months at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska, Keith was honorably discharged from the Army in July 1975.

During his Indianapolis assignment in the military, Keith resumed his friendship with a young lady that he met in 1968 in Spanish II class at Shortridge High School. He had written on the back of his Senior picture that he gave to her “To Joyce, the kindest sweetest girl I know”. Soon that friendship blossomed into romance and Keith married Joyce Marie Houghton on October 11, 1975. In addition to the traditional vows, they promised to love and support each other during the “good times and all the rest”. It was a mantra they repeated often and 48 years later that promise has been fulfilled.

Keith and Joyce were blessed to have one son, Bryan, and Keith relished his role as a father. He was an active, attentive, involved, and supportive father and these attributes carried over when he became a grandfather. Family was very important to Keith. He was a loving husband, proud dad, devoted “PawPaw” and caring uncle.

Keith was a very patient and fearless man. Evidence of this is that he taught 4 generations to drive, starting with his widowed mother-in-law, and continuing to his son, niece, and grandson. After completing his college education and attaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Indiana University in 1978, Keith was hired to work in Contract Administration at Amax Coal Company. He remained there until the company closed the Indianapolis office and relocated to Houston, Texas in 1993. Moving to Texas was not considered because Joyce and Keith had opened First Quality Printing in November of 1989.

Keith came into the business full time and spearheaded tremendous growth and expansion into contractual operation of off-site printing centers for governmental and city agencies. Keith’s last role was serving as a Senior Advisor to his son as they launched and built Rand & Co Holdings, an investment holding company with stakes in numerous private businesses across the United States.

In addition to his professional pursuits, Keith volunteered time and talent to organizations such as the Shortridge High School Alumni Association. He served on the board for several years, stepping away in June 2023. He held the offices of President, Treasurer, and Scholarship Committee Chairman. Keith provided leadership to a successful fundraising campaign that generated much needed dollars for scholarships for Shortridge students. Keith also served with Shortridge classmates from the Class of 1970 on reunion planning committees, with the most recent held in June 2022.

Keith consistently attended church with his family. He was a member of Little Bethel Baptist Church for many years and in 1996 he began attending Eastern Star Church in the Fishers campus location.

Keith was an outgoing, fun-loving man with a great sense of humor. He had eclectic interests. In addition to spending time with family, he enjoyed traveling, movies, reading and planting/tending to flowers in the yard. He was quite a dancer and because of him and Joyce taking Salsa lessons and later, West Coast Swing lessons, he became a sought-out partner at socials and dance events. He was a serious Prince fan and Purple Rain was one of his favorite songs and albums.

Keith faced his health issues head on with courage, faith, and a realistic outlook. Never complaining, he often remarked, “what’s my Plan B?” when faced with another hurdle or procedure to endure. He expressed gratitude frequently and often talked about the heightened awareness that he had developed of the challenges and importance of the role of caregiver.

Keith transitioned peacefully at home on Friday, March 22, 2024. In addition to his parents, Keith was preceded in death by his sisters, Deborrah Russell and Rosewilma Marie Rand.

Keith will be deeply missed by all of those he left behind, his wife, Joyce; son, Bryan (Dr. Tiffany) Rand of Atlanta, GA; brothers, Richard and Gregory Rand; grandchildren, Drake Rand of Atlanta, GA, William Keith “Rohan” Rand and Jamison Leigh Rand of Atlanta, GA; uncle, Retired Pastor, David G. (Martha) Rand of York, Pennsylvania; nieces, nephews; cousins; other relatives, and many friends.

Donations may be made in Keith’s memory to the Shortridge High School Alumni Association, Mailing address: P.O. Box 53665, Indianapolis, IN 46254, or Web address: https://shortridgealumni.com/about-us

A visitation for Keith will be held Sunday, April 7, 2024, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Crown Hill Funeral Home, 700 W. 38th St., Indianapolis, IN 46208, followed by a memorial service at 3:00 PM.