Keith William Wadding

Keith William Wadding, 69, of League City Texas passed away on February 6, 2026. Born in Tarentum, Pennsylvania on October 21, 1956, to Richard and Rose Wadding, he was married to Carmela Wadding for forty-seven years.

Keith was the first of three boys and as a youth he saw a lot of this country because his dad worked for IBM (I’ve Been Moved). Growing up, Keith lived in seven different states, sometimes returning to the same state multiple times. He learned to camp on family vacations and after marriage this is something he and Carmela enjoyed.

When he was old enough, his parents left his brothers in his care on bowling nights. To this day the family still talks about those times: locking little brother in the basement, and “playing shark” which involved staying out of the “water” (off the floor) by hopping from furniture to furniture.

In Gaithersburg Maryland, he joined the high school band and played the trumpet. He enjoyed the fellowship of other teens and frequented the “Upper Room,” a Christian coffeehouse.

He spent his college freshman year in the dorms at Pennsylvania State University since his family lived in Texas at that time. He transferred to Texas A&M the following year and shared an apartment with three other students who remained fast friends. Making the grade academically became second to having fun.

He took a year off college and met Carmela while working full-time at Almeda Foleys. After a whirlwind romance of 8 months, they married in 1978. Although he had grown up Methodist and she Catholic, a shared Christian faith was important to both.

As newlyweds, they moved back to College Station. With thoughts of studying meteorology and with an affinity for weather phenomena, Keith intended to improve his GPA by attending the local junior college before returning to Texas A&M. Together Keith and Carmela would take weekend excursions on the rural roads of Texas, putting miles on their inherited Kingwood Impala, and later, on their first car: a used Chevy Vega Cam Back that burned oil by the case. They also enjoyed camping with their first cat, Mr. Spock.

From College Station, Keith and Carmela returned to Houston where he continued work in retail: first in sales and then as a stock supervisor. In 1981, he began his occupation as a cook at the Jalapeno Tree in Webster. Keith demonstrated a natural flair for cooking and grilling. He took pleasure in preparing meals at home and watching various cooking channels.

They ended up purchasing a house in League City where he enjoyed making impromptu music and art with Carmela’s younger brother and his friends. This was his last residence.

At 62, he retired as a cook from Fuddruckers and became stay-at-home dad to their feline family. He enjoyed watching car races, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pirates, and remained loyal to the Aggies. He took pleasure in tracking hurricanes, listening to music, and conversing with remote friends across the world on the “Breaking Cat News” internet forum.

He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Olney and Martha Wadding/Jacob and Helena Pompe and his younger brother Steven Wadding, as well as Carmela’s father and brother, Martin Flores Jr. and Martin A. Flores. He is survived by his wife Carmela Wadding, parents Richard and Rose Wadding, youngest brother Donald Wadding and wife Ramona, Carmela’s mother Adelina Flores and sisters by marriage Angela Flores and Edith Foret, nieces Amy Wadding and Lily Foret and nephew Adam Wadding.

Visitation will be at Forest Park East cemetery in Webster, TX from 5pm – 8pm on Friday 02/20/2026 with a short service to begin at 5:45pm. Celebration of Life service will be held 02/21/2026 at Living Faith Outreach starting at 1pm in Dickinson TX. He will be laid to rest at Forest Park immediately following the Celebration of Life service.

Flowers are welcome as are donations to League City Animal Clinic or Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation.