Keith Hildreth

Keith Hartley Hildreth, 91, passed away on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Des Moines, Iowa. A visitation for Keith will be held Wednesday, April 30, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Ankeny Funeral Home, 1510 W 1st St, Ankeny, Iowa 50023. A funeral service will occur Wednesday, April 30, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM at Ankeny Funeral Home. Inurnment will be held Wednesday, April 30, 2025 from 12:15 PM to 12:30 PM at Lincoln Township Cemetery, Northwest 16th Street, Alleman, IA. A luncheon will be held immediately after the burial of the urn on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 from 12:45 PM to 1:45 PM at Ankeny First United Methodist Church, 206 SW Walnut Street, Ankeny, Iowa 50023.

He was born on September 5, 1933, to Sidney and Lois Hildreth in Polk County, Iowa, and grew up on the family farm just north of Ankeny alongside his three sisters—Carol, Nancy, and Susan.

Keith graduated from Ankeny High School in 1951. He attended Iowa State University (formerly Iowa State College) for two years before enlisting in the U.S. Army. After serving for two years, he returned to Iowa State to complete his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business. During his service, he met Fran Washburn, and the two were married on December 22, 1955, in Killeen, Texas. They remained in love, living their vows until they were released from them with Fran’s death, 59 years later.

During high school, Keith was a multi-sport athlete, participating in football, track, and—his favorite—basketball. Three of his four years on the Ankeny team, they made it to the State Tournament during the single-class era (think Hoosiers). He never fully got over the heartbreak of missing his senior trip to the tournament when Ankeny lost in the sectional finals on a buzzer-beater. He cherished the memories of playing and staying at the University of Iowa—the big city, as he called it. Although he was considered too short for college basketball (unlike his sisters who went on to play at the collegiate level), he stayed active in athletics, spending a year diving for Iowa State and enjoying countless intramural games through his Phi Delta Theta fraternity.

Though his career in agricultural sales, training, and HR brought him great satisfaction, his deepest love—his first priority—was always his family.

He and Fran spent many evenings playing bridge with friends—though he would admit Fran was the true strategist at the table. He made up for it on the golf course, where they played regularly in Friday night leagues.

Keith was a constant and active presence in Kevin, Greg, and Jill’s lives—his beloved children. He coached teams, attended concerts, and never missed a ceremony. He made memories with them as often as he made them dinner, and the kids always knew when Dad was out of town—Fran would either order a pizza or take the kids on a trip to Fay’s.

He taught his grandchildren to drive on his golf cart and made sure they knew the landscapes and sounds of the classics—whether it was the Swiss Alps and the melodies of The Sound of Music, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole or the azaleas and greens of Augusta at The Masters. For Keith, life with his family was about finding meaning in the moment, somehow knowing and trusting those moments would stretch well beyond the passage of time.

Keith had a deep and lasting commitment to serving others.

He loved volunteering at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, where he was named Volunteer of the Year. In Hampton, Iowa, he was a proud member of the Lions Club and a regular at their annual chicken fundraiser, helping to build the massive barbecue pit and flipping chicken for hours. He brought people together,constantly organizing monthly neighborhood cookouts, alumni breakfasts for Kent Feeds, and gatherings with his high school classmates.

Keith remained a devoted member of Ankeny First United Methodist Church throughout his life. He also served on several care teams, offering support to those who were grieving. Even when he couldn’t attend in person, he almost never missed a livestreamed service. Church didn’t end when the service did, and would often continue into lunch with his partner Phyllis and their watching Jimmy Swaggart side-by-side.

Keith believed in loving people wholly—through presence and time, never afraid to lighten the mood when things got too heavy or to stay and sit a little longer, steady and kind. His words were always sure and true. And sometimes silly. It’s precisely what made him who he was—one of a kind.

His passion for golf never slowed, from the early years spent at the 9-hole course in Hampton to the steadfast community of friends in Ada, Oklahoma. It’s hard to know how much of his love was for being able to jump in his golf cart and start a round within minutes or the group of regulars he joined in retirement (or maybe, it was his ace—a hole in one). One of his favorite characters was “The Gov,” a former president of the Chickasaw Nation. A true character. And Keith was just as much one himself, which is likely why the two were drawn to each other in the first place. Keith always found a way to treat everyone as an indelible and necessary character in the beautiful story of his life he couldn’t have imagined changing.

When life brought Keith back home to Ankeny, he and his sisters, along with their spouses, could easily be found on Friday nights at Prairie Meadows enjoying slots, hot dogs, and a spin on the big Wheel of Fortune. Or Saturday lunches at the Yankee Clipper with Susan, Merle, and whatever passer through was staying with him that weekend.

He was a devoted husband and father, grandfather and friend. He led with quiet strength and joyful hospitality, touching countless lives and leaving the world a better place. You always knew when Keith was in the room, and more than that, you always knew when he wasn’t there. He is missed—and always will be—by every life he touched.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Frances Dee Hildreth; his parents, Sidney and Lois (McHaffie) Hildreth; and his sisters and their spouses, Carol (Tike) and Nancy (Eddie).

He is survived by his sister Susan (Merle) Johnson; his children, Kevin (Shelly) Hildreth, Gregory (Karen) Hildreth, and Jill (Joe) Webster; his grandchildren, Kyle (Amanda) Hildreth, Kelli (Michael) Hildreth, Chelsea (Chris) Radford, Ian (Melissa) Hildreth, Ash Hildreth, Joseph Webster, Sean Rosa, Brad Rosa, and Jacob Webster; his great-grandchildren, Lily Hildreth, Delaney Christensen, and Colby Christensen; and his beloved partner of five years, Phyllis Muehlenthaler.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be directed to American Diabetes Association or the Alzheimer Association in Keith’s memory.