Keith Brenden Hilgers

Keith Brenden Hilgers, age 98, of Surprise, Arizona passed away on Saturday, July 15, 2023. Keith is survived by four children, Ken Hilgers, Karen Hubbert, Kevin Hilgers, and Kyle Hilgers; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Keith’s three brothers and three sisters passed before him, as did his wife of 72 years, Katie Hilgers, who died in 2019.

Keith was born in Plainville, Kansas in 1925, where he lived on a rural farm through the Dust Bowl years. He entered the U.S. Navy at age 18 and served on the USS Bunker Hill, surviving the attack in 1945 by two kamikaze planes that took the lives of 393 sailors and airmen. After his service in the Armed Forces, Keith and Katie moved to Boulder, Colorado where they started their family and resided for twenty years before relocating to Wickenburg, Arizona in 1969.

Keith was an amiable and humble man who always expressed genuine interest and care for the experience of others, and whose friendly and present demeanor was a gift to be around. Until his death, Keith was of sharp mind and intellect, and enjoyed discussing events of the world and sharing stories from the past. He was adored as a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather – a steadfast presence of support that will live on in the hearts of his family, and those he loved.