She was the second of four children born to Katsuya Hayashi and Yae Osawa in Saroma, Hokkaido, Japan on August 21, 1942. Some of her earliest memories were of hiding in air raid shelters during World War II. As a young woman she was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Later she served as a full-time missionary in Japan. With the encouragement of a dear friend, she moved first to Hawaii to attend college, then transferred to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. She majored in vocal music. She married Layne Julian Westover on August 4, 1973. Two sons were born in Utah, and a third born in Columbia, Missouri where Layne was pursuing doctoral studies.
The family moved to College Station in 1982, when Layne began work at Texas A&M. Keiko and Layne lived in Fukuoka, Japan for five years. They returned to College Station in 2015. Music was a lifelong passion for Keiko. She sang in community and church choirs and supported the start of the orchestra program in College Station schools. She loved sharing Japanese culture and befriending international students from Japan. She worked as a liaison for Texas A&M’s branch campus in Koriyama, Japan, organizing a program for Japanese students to visit local families in Texas.
Running was a great passion in her later life. She completed five marathons after age 60, to set an example for her posterity she said. She became a proud citizen of the United States in 2018. She was a tireless worker and loyal friend. She dearly loved and supported her family, especially her three sons.
She is survived by her husband, Layne; sons, Arthur and wife Jennifer, Keith Kenshi, Gerrit; grandchildren, Luke, Alice, Miles; siblings, Ryuichi, Junko, Kimihiro, and nephews.
Visitation will began at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, January 19 followed by the funeral service at 3:00 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints in College Station. Interment will follow at Memorial Cemetery of College Station.
