Marcia Jane Keeler

Marcy Keeler, former schoolteacher, lifetime active Girl Scout, Red Cross Volunteer travel guide, nun, Lockheed employee, AAUW member, book lover, and animal lover has passed away of natural causes at the age of 87. She is survived by her niece and namesake Elan Marcia Keeler, and Elan's siblings Megan, Jonathan and Tanya, half-siblings in New Mexico, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her brother, Hayes, and beloved half-sister Linda who had Down’s Syndrome. Her last two years were spent in Assisted Living in San Jose. Marcy will be missed by her family, many friends and colleagues, AAUW members, and her Girl Scout sisters.

Marcia Jane Keeler was born in 1937 in the Philippines, where her dad served on General MacArthur's staff. She evacuated with her mother and older brother, Hayes, on the last ship to arrive in the U.S. from the Philippines before the start of WWII, Marcy’s dad Ralph was captured by the Japanese, survived the Bataan Death March and years of imprisonment, only to be killed near the end of the war.

Marcy's family moved around frequently, living with relatives in Seattle, Boston, Denver, and finally in New Mexico when her mother remarried. Marcy attended the University of New Mexico and worked as a tour guide for her stepfather Rex. Everywhere they lived, her mom helped her join a Girl Scout troop as a way to stay connected and "Make New Friends." When she was a Senior Mariner Girl Scout, she was selected as one of two scouts to represent the United States at an international session at Our Chalet in Switzerland. On the way there, they took tea with Lady Baden Powell in England.

Since her mom was working, Marcy spent many of her summer vacations near Seattle on her Uncle Frank's farm, where she developed her love of horses and other animals. Her aunt Myra enrolled her in a Catholic school, so she could stay and compete in riding competitions with her uncle. After graduating from college in New Mexico, Marcy became a nun, joining the Convent of the Sacred Heart and spending a year in England. Later, she left the order to teach PE and Health in Catholic schools. As enrollment declined and schools shut down, Marcy went to work as a computer programmer at Lockheed. Her older brother, who had graduated from Stanford and Columbia Law and settled in San Francisco, helped her buy a house in Milpitas where she could keep her favorite Collies and other dogs, birds, and other pets. Lockheed Management encouraged her to participate in the community, so she joined AAUW, and became a First Aid Trainer with the Red Cross, and a Trainer for the Girl Scouts.

When the Red Cross developed a new BAT (Basic Aid Training) for 4-6 graders, Marcy developed a special "Super BAT" program where Girl or Boy Scouts could train in first aid and accident prevention on one full Saturday, instead of six different sessions. Bringing together a group of Girl Scout volunteer trainers and several Lockheed colleagues (including the fireman in full fire suit), Marcy helped train up to 100 girls or boys at the same time, awarding BAT patches and certificates at the end of the day. Marcy ran this program several times a year, along with training Girl Scout leaders in First Aid, and encouraging them to become trainers. She also taught Red Cross Babysitting, BLS, and was an Emergency Preparedness volunteer. For her work as a Girl Scout Trainer, Marcy received a Thanks Badge, the highest award in adult Girl Scouting. She also helped with Religious Recognitions, Camporees and other events with her service unit and Girl Scouts of Santa Clara County.

When Lockheed eliminated her division, Marcy got a degree in Special Education and a CLAD credential for teaching English Language Learners. She taught Special Day Classes in East Palo Alto, Santa Clara, and San Jose. At Stonegate School, she joined the Safety Committee, attended city-wide disaster preparedness training, and helped write a grant proposal to improve school safety by buying walkie talkies, training staff and students in First Aid, and writing a school safety plan that became a model for the district.

Marcy was a lifelong learner and took every opportunity to learn new things and share them with others. She became a regular attendee at Reading Conferences, Project Learning Tree, Girl Scout Trainers Conferences, GS Heritage meetings, School District Trainings, and AAUW meetings, international dinners, and mystery book club.

During school vacations and after retirement, Marcy loved to travel. She joined the Friends of Our Chalet and the Baden-Powell Society. She visited all of the Girl Scout World Centers, some of them more than once, and spent many holidays in England at Foxlease. She returned to the Philippines and visited China and Vietnam with the Baden Powell Society. In the US, she attended Indian Scouting events, World Association Meetings, and National Girl Scout Events. She attended Elder Hostels, and retraced her New Mexico tour routes with Ann Hillerman, whose father Tony she had met during her college years. She often visited her aunt and uncle in Seattle, her cousin in Boston, and her family in Albuquerque.

Marcy will long be remembered by her many students, trainees, relatives and friends.

October 2024

Written by Winnie Doty

3655 La Calle Court

Palo Alto, CA 94306

650-796-4264

I worked with Marcy as a Girl Scout, Red Cross, and Project Learning Tree Trainer, as well as a teaching colleague. I spoke with her by phone almost daily during the pandemic shut down and helped her get health care and move into Assisted Living. I am responsible for any errors or omissions in this document. I will try to send a copy of this to her relatives. friends and colleagues. Let me know if you wish to add or correct anything.