Georgia Lee Keller

Georgia Lee was born September 29, 1918, in Butler, Missouri, to Agnes Christine (Black) and Joe C. Hupp. During grade school she always described herself as a tomboy who could run faster than the boys. In her freshman year at Butler High School, Georgia Lee was chosen Queen of the annual Fall Carnival. Memories of Butler and the lessons she learned there stayed with her throughout her life. Before her sophomore year, the family moved to Kansas City. Georgia Lee attended Central High School, graduating in 1936, where she earned membership in National Honor Society. She took part in many activities and was president of her Thalian Literary Society and the Zoology Club, a member of the Student Council Cabinet, and an R.O.T.C. princess. She represented her literary society all 3 years in the annual Inter-society Literary Contest.

The first woman in her family to go to college, Georgia Lee attended the University of Kansas City (now UMKC) on a scholarship, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 1940 and graduated “With Distinction.” She was president of her sorority Sigma Beta, today a chapter of Alpha Delta Pi national sorority. She was elected Class Secretary in both her junior and senior years and was a beauty queen contestant for the 1936-37 issue of The Crataegus, the early name of the KCU yearbook.

After graduation she worked one year for an insurance company in downtown Kansas City. Georgia Lee married her high school sweetheart Robert M. Keller in Kansas City on September 20, 1941 at Country Club Methodist Church. The newly married couple drove to Corpus Christi, Texas where her husband reported for active duty at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, and they began their married life. During World War II, they were stationed also in Miami, Florida, New York City, and Philadelphia. In New York City, Georgia Lee worked as secretary for Charles H. Higgins, architect, in his office on Park Avenue, while her husband’s ship was at sea. In 1946 they returned to the Kansas City area where they lived the rest of their lives.

Georgia Lee was secretary for Science Pioneers, Inc., during seven annual Greater Kansas City Science Fairs. She was a member of the Meriweds class at Country Club Methodist Church and a long-time member of Kansas City Athenaeum. She was an 18-hole golfer in Indian Hills Country Club Women’s Golf Association, a member of the Mission Hills Chapter of The Daughters of the American Revolution, 40 Years Ago Column Club, sororities of Sigma Beta, Mu Kappa, and Tri-Psi Mother’s Club of Delta Delta Delta national sorority. She was a charter member of Homestead Country Club and of Tomahawk Hills Country Club, today Tomahawk Recreation Center and Golf Course. She was an excellent swimmer, and won trophies in golf, bowling, and bridge.

Georgia Lee is remembered for her lifelong love of learning. She loved to travel and kept detailed journals. She and Bob were in all the states, except Alaska, and traveled to Great Britain and Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, Egypt, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, and China. On one trip she and Bob drove through Spain, exploring on their own, he at the wheel, she with the maps. For many years, Georgia Lee and Bob enjoyed attending his ship reunions of the USS Susan B. Anthony.

She was interested in everyone. Her positive attitude and quick laugh endeared her to all.

Georgia Lee was preceded in death by her parents, by her husband Bob of 72 years in January 2014, by her sister Jo Ann (Hupp) Anderson, of Costa Mesa, California, in 1981, and by her brother Thomas William “Bill” Hupp of Orlando, Florida, in 1971.

Survivors are her sister-in-law Susanne Hupp of Orlando, FL, three children, Sharyl Lee Wright (husband Dr. Ron Wright,) Marsha Jo Keller, Kimball Scott Keller (wife Carolyn,) grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

The family sincerely thanks the staff at Villa St. Francis for their compassion and skillful care since November 2012.

Fond memories and condolences are very welcome at www.mtmoriah.net.