Robert "Kason" Keiger

The Honorable Robert Kason Keiger (Kason) died peacefully in his sleep at his Lake Norman Home on December 14th, 2022. He was 88 years old and had recently suffered a short illness. Judge Keiger was a highly respected Judge during his tenure in the Forsyth County District Court from 1976 – 1996. He was particularly exceptional and knowledgeable in Equitable Distribution (ED) of property and divorce cases. At his retirement, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners named the 3rd floor courtroom 3-A in the Forsyth County Hall of justice after him as the:

“R. Kason Keiger Courtroom”

Judge Keiger is survived by son Christopher Kason Keiger and wife Patricia, Step-Daughter DD Thornton Kenny and husband Bill, granddaughters Jenna Leigh Ryals and fiancé Hayden Goodson, Avalon Kenny, Annecy Kenny and great-granddaughter Mya Leigh Goodson. He was proceeded in death by his by Daughter, Kimberly Oxidine Keiger, his first wife Doris Smith Keiger and his second wife Ann Williams Keiger.

Keiger was born in Winston-Salem to Joseph Lee Keiger and Mamie Spainhour Keiger on June 28, 1934. He attended Old Town Elementary and Reynolds High School. His father, better known as Lee Keiger, founded the Old Town Telephone System, which through a series of mergers eventually became ALLTEL Telephone.

After High School Kason attended the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and graduated with a business finance degree in 1956, he then attended Wake Forest Law School. After receiving his Juris Doctor from WFU Law School in 1960 he began practicing law in Winston-Salem and surrounding areas. He took the role of a temporary Judge in the town of Kernersville in 1975. One of his clients early in his career, race car legend - Richard Childress stated “Before Kason became a Judge he was really a super lawyer and good friend. He gave me a lot of legal advice and help in the early stages of my career.”

After retirement and moving to his home at Lake Norman in 1996, Keiger attended Broad Street United Methodist Church in Statesville, NC.

Keiger was a man of many hobbies and extracurricular activities in High School and College and afterwards. He enjoyed an extraordinary life as an excellent track runner, pole vaulter and ping pong champion in his college days. He was always a Tar Heel Fan both in Basketball and Football and attended as well as watched many games over the years. He also enjoyed playing his guitar and singing with friends and family. His pets included various breeds of dogs over the span of his life (mostly German Shepherds and Collies).

Later in life he became a private pilot and began flying in his spare time in his early 40’s, he and his wife Ann flew his Cherokee Piper 180 prop-plane all over the US and throughout the Caribbean islands as a private pilot. He also loved to fly to the coast of North Carolina, regularly, and was one of the early people to buy beach property at Sunset Beach, NC in the late 1960’s. He spent a lot of his off-time enjoying the beautiful sunsets at the NC coastal region and of Sunset Beach.

He took up scuba diving in his mid- 40’s and with the encouragement of his son took up snow skiing in his late 50’s. After learning to snow ski and taking up the sport, with his wife Ann and his son, Chris, he decided it was time to begin to relax and take it easy. So, he built the house on Lake Norman where he lived on the lake and enjoyed skiing, water sports and various water activities during the remainder of his life.

He was loved dearly by his family and friends and will be greatly missed.

There will be a family visitation held at Vogler Funeral Home at 3815 Yadkinville Road in Winston-Salem, NC on Friday December 23, from 12:30 – 2:00 PM. The Life Remembrance and Celebration Service will be held immediately following the visitation at 2:00 PM in the funeral home chapel. A Graveside service will follow immediately at Forsyth Memorial Park.

Special thanks should be given to Grace Team Caregivers and particularly to Mrs. Amy Barr and Carolina Caring who took special care of Kason during the final years and months of his life.

In lieu of flowers, Gifts and/or donations in his honor should be made to FEED-NC for under privileged families in Iredell County and Surrounding areas. Address:

Feed-NC, PO Box 5173, Mooresville, NC 28117

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.voglerfuneralhome.com for the Keiger family.