A renegade, warrior, protector, husband, father, and hero, Steve was all of this and more…
Steve was born in 1936 to Wilbert and Lucille Keiser. Steve was raised with his brother Dick in the town of Decatur Illinois, at which time Steve’s father Wilbert ran the flagship Woolworth store in Chicago. From a young age, Steve loved to fish and entered and won many fishing contests. When Steve was in elementary school, the Keiser family moved to Harlingen Texas where Wilbert pursued a career in the oil business while simultaneously owning and managing grapefruit groves. Living down in the Valley, Steve learned to speak Spanish at a young age and learned to love Mexican food. Steve attended Harlingen High School where he had many interests. He played Center for the high school football team with Matt Gorges and acted in school plays, most notably “Where the Cross Is Made” playing Captain Bartlett and “The Ghost Train” playing Saul Hodgkin. Steve also won Second Place as part of an All Star Cast in a 1954 UIL competition for One Act Plays. Steve graduated Harlingen High in 1954 and went on to attend the University of Texas at Austin with his best friend Graham McCullough. While at UT, Steve joined the Sigma Chi Fraternity.
In the middle of his senior year of college at UT, Steve decided he wanted to fly airplanes and enlisted in the United States Airforce. While an enlisted man, Steve was chosen out of a class of nearly 500 men to be put into flight school and trained as a fighter pilot. While in the AirForce, Steve was stationed in Phalsbourg France, Bitburg Germany and Tripoli Libya. Steve became a distinguished fighter pilot and flew many planes including the F106, and the F4 Phantom in the Vietnam War. Steve was in the 48th Fighter Squadron at Langley AirForce Base, the 525th Fighter Interceptor Squad in Bitburg Germany, and flew reconnaissance for the 101st Airborne division known as the Screaming Eagles. While in Europe, Steve was the only Second Lieutenant that was a fighter pilot.
Given his flying talent, Steve was chosen as an escort to President John F. Kennedy, escorting President Kennedy to his Ich bin ein Berliner speech in West Berlin, June 26, 1963. Steve was awarded many medals, the highest honor being the distinguished Flying Cross for his flying skill and bravery in Vietnam.
While many thought Steve to be an eternal bachelor, Steve met Jane Pensom in 1964 while stationed in Langley Virginia through mutual friends Al and Sue Kidd. Jane stole Steve’s heart. Steve married Jane Pensom in 1965 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Steve and Jane had two children, Susan in 1971 and Steve Jr. in 1972.
While serving in the AirForce, Steve attended The AirForce Command and Staff, an education program provided by the USAF for select officers, from 1972-1973. In addition, Steve went to night school, finishing his undergraduate degree with Troy State University, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in 1973. Steve continued his education earning a Master of Science in Education from Southern Illinois University in 1975.
During Steve’s USAF career, Steve and Jane moved to Hawaii, Alabama, Missouri, Minnesota and back to Hawaii again. Steve moved up the ranks and achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1975. While a fighter pilot, Steve served the CINCPAC fleet from 1979 to 1982 at Hickam Airforce base and at Camp Smith, a special intelligence agency that protected US interests in the Pacific. Steve retired from the USAF in 1982.
After retiring from the AirForce, Steve became a stock broker and worked for Dean Witter Reynolds in Honolulu from 1982-1984. Steve also got his real estate license and became a real estate agent in the state of Hawaii. Socially, Steve was very active with the Sigma Chi Fraternity Alumni in Honolulu.
In 1986, Steve, Jane and family moved back to the mainland to Kingwood Texas. Steve continued to dabble in real estate by investing in condos in Galveston and Conroe.
Steve loved aviation and flying, weather forecasting, photography, boating, fishing, flowers and birdwatching. He also loved dogs and riding in the car each day with his dog.
Steve leaves behind his wife Jane, daughter Susan, son Steve, and grandson Andy. Also related: Nephew Richard Carl Keiser, wife Debbie, and sons Scott and Robbie; Nephew Jim and wife Vicki, daughter Catherine, and son James. Niece Charlene Wilson and grand nephew William Wilson. Sister in law Donna Pensom, niece Terri King, niece Jane Simpson and nephew Brian Pensom. Brother in law Keith Pensom, niece Heather Lucas and nephew Keith Pensom Jr. Cousin Charles Fox and wife Sharon.
Given Steve’s love for dogs, donations may be given to Freckles Keiser’s dog rescue: Gulf Coast Cocker Spaniel Rescue, www.gulfcoastcockerspanielrescue.com https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=R2EkE5XVv3sCYaVFs3ztedDkl9LIgpWJD3wcyrvhcRLpjl-eY9KE1z9iMDFzpDCi2JMnC0
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