Kenneth P. Keller

Survived by his loving wife Mary Ellen (née Conflitti), the two recently celebrated their forty-seventh wedding anniversary. Neighbors growing up on the same block in Detroit, it was only after Mary Ellen stopped Ken in the middle of the street to ask him to her senior prom that the two began dating. They were married the weekend before one of Ken’s major pharmacy examinations (which, true to form, he passed without difficulty).

Ken began a long career as a pharmacist after his graduation from Wayne State University. He started working for St. Mary Hospital in his hometown of Livonia in 1975, becoming the Director of Pharmacy in 1984—a position he held until his retirement in 2014.

Although he worked very hard, Ken’s work did not define him. An avid woodworker and a gifted craftsman, Ken spent his days working on home improvement projects (except for plumbing—he hated plumbing) and building furniture for family members. Ken occasionally sold some of his pieces in craft shows; hundreds of families adorn their homes with his handmade wooden Christmas decorations (which Mary Ellen painted) every year.

Ken was also fascinated with exploring his family’s roots and became an expert at genealogical research over time. He and Mary Ellen would visit cemeteries in the summer months to catalogue family members’ headstones, and Ken tirelessly chronicled immigration records, marriage licenses, and death certificates. He even traced one line of the family back to the 1200s.

But Ken’s real joy in life was his family. When Ken and Mary Ellen were unable to have children of their own, Ken suggested that they adopt. The two became parents in 1979 when Steven was born. Amy followed shortly thereafter in 1983. Like any great dad, Ken taught them to bait a fish hook, ride a bike, jump start a car, hook a bowling ball, and build a magnetic generator (of course). Ken was generous beyond words, and delighted in surprising—but never spoiling—his children with unexpected presents. In September 2019, he was the life of the party at his daughter’s wedding to Jeremiah Posedel, and was looking forward to his son’s upcoming nuptials to Paul Kolc.

Although a quiet and reserved man, Ken enjoyed being helpful and making others happy. He once put out a neighbor’s house fire with a single fire extinguisher and would often cover the dinner tab for complete strangers (without telling them, of course—he just wanted to see them smile). He enjoyed German and Polish comfort food, vanilla milk shakes, walking his dog Maggie, and listening to a variety of music—from Glenn Miller to the Beatles.

He lived a full life but was taken from his family far too soon. His memory will be a blessing to his wife, children and their spouses, and siblings Helane (Blair), John (Ruth), and James (Anne). Predeceased by his parents John and Eva, and his stepmother Helen, he will be missed by many.

The family invites you to celebrate Ken’s life during a viewing at the Harry J. Will Funeral Home in Livonia, Michigan, on Friday, June 26, from 3:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Given health and safety measures that have been put into place at the funeral home due to the coronavirus, the family is also inviting those who attend the wake to a social-distant-friendly gathering in Ken and Mary Ellen’s backyard (a block away from the funeral home) thereafter. Details will be provided at the funeral home on Friday. Private services for family members will take place on Saturday.