Wesley J. Keith

As a young man, Wes enlisted in the Army and proudly served his country in WWII and those who knew him for any length of time were undoubtedly entertained by some of the many interesting stories about his experiences in the war and in the Phillipines in particular. Even though he only spent a relatively short amount of time there, he was able to learn and fluently speak the Filipino national native language of Tagalog, and took every opportunity throughout the rest of his life to converse with any Filipinos he came in contact with.

Another of our favorite military stories involved an incident in a field hospital after being wounded in battle. A colonel had come to visit him to present him with the distinguished Purple Heart Medal for his bravery in battle. Wes asked if this meant they would have to notify his mother that he had been wounded. When the colonel replied that they would, Wes, being the feisty, stubborn but caring man that he was, promptly told the colonel what he could do with his medal as he adamantly didn’t want his mother to know he had been injured for fear of causing her any more pain and worry over his being in the war. His love and concern for his mother was tantamount to all else. Wes was honorably discharged from the Army and highly decorated for his service including the aforementioned Purple Heart.

After the war, he began a long career as a crane and heavy equipment operator and member of the Operating Engineers Local 139. Wes was certified to operate the largest cranes in use at that time and was proud of his accomplishments in the field.

Caring for others more than himself was a lifelong character trait of Wesley Keith. He personally cared for and nursed his young daughter, Nina, until her death from cancer at a very young age and then did the same again for his wife, Janet, when she became terminally ill.

In his early 80’s and a few years after Janet died, he met Florence Garrett, the last love of his life. They shared many interests together including going to church, ballroom dancing and even roller skating. When Florence became seriously ill, he nursed her back to health several times even after the doctors had given up hope. He was her live-in caregiver until she finally went home to be with the Lord in 2008.

He is survived by the Bryant and Steele-Keith families in Orlando and Wisconsin along with the Garrett-Knowles family of Orlando. He will be loved and dearly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Arrangements under the direction of Carey Hand Cox-Parker Funeral Home, Winter Park, FL.