Richard L. Keach

The Rev. Dr. Richard L. Keach was born in Norwich, CT on Feb. 8, 1919, the son of Edward L. and Emma Jordon Keach. He grew up in Danielson and attended Killingly High School. From there he entered Bates College in Lewiston, ME, majoring in Religion and Psych. and lettering in indoor track and tennis. Following graduation in 1944 he attended Andover Newton Theological School, Newton Centre, MA. While at Bates Dick met his love of 70 years, Marjorie Walther, of Westfield, NJ. They were married on January 31, 1946 at Andover Newton. After seminary they served American Baptist churches in Newton Centre, MA, Rock Springs, WY, Waterville, ME, Wayne, PA, and Hartford, CT. From 1957 to 1976 he was pastor of Central Baptist Church in Wayne, PA. In 1968, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., the church voted to mortgage its building for $100,000 to establish an M L King Jr. Fund. The money was granted to twelve ministries in the Phila. area for job training, building low-cost housing, scholarships for minority students, the establishment of African-American industries in Camden, NJ, and sponsorship of refugees from Cuba and Haiti. From his experiences he wrote two books, “The Purple Pulpit (Conflict and Change in a Suburban Church)” and “God’s Spirit in the Church”. He earned a marriage counseling certificate and taught religion at Ellen Cushing Jr. College in Bryn Mawr, PA. In 1976 the family moved to Hartford to pastor Central Baptist Church. While at Hartford, he received a Dr. of Ministry degree from Andover Newton Theological School. As a member of the Hartford Rotary Club, he became a Paul Harris fellow. He and Marjorie were volunteers at the Hartford Hospital for twenty years. He indulged his passion for golf at Wethersfield Country Club. His golfing accomplishments include 4 holes-in-one and shooting his age hundreds of times. In addition to his dear wife, he leaves daughters Alison Shenkus (Robert) of Bluffton, SC and Kathlyn Horner (Joel) of Wethersfield, CT, sons Richard (Jacqueline) of Cincinnati, OH and David of Media, PA. He also leaves 7 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren with 2 more expected. A remembrance service will be held at Covenant Village in Cromwell, CT on Sat, Nov. 12 at 2:00 pm in the chapel at Pilgrim Manor. A lovely riverside setting will be his and Marjorie’s final resting place at Fairlawn Cemetery, Saco, ME. Memorial gifts may be given to the Richard L. and Marjorie W. Keach Scholarship Fund at Bates College, Lewiston, ME. The Fund benefits third world students at Bates. The D’Esopo Funeral Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements. For online expressions of sympathy to the family, please visit www.desopo.com.