William Forest “Bill” Keyser of Umatilla passed away in Milton-Freewater on March 10, 2021 at the age of 81.
He was born on Sept. 22, 1939 in Paris, Ohio to William and Marjorie Wartman Keyser.
Bill lived in Louisville, Ohio throughout his childhood, where he attended school. While in high school, he excelled at football and was named the Bandit for his ability to steal the ball. He graduated from Louisville High School in the class of 1958. He then enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, where he served for several years.
After high school, Bill worked for a steel mill in Ohio until the early 1970s. In 1972, he moved to Oregon and began working for Fairbanks Scale. In the late 1970s, his job brought him to Eastern Oregon when he settled in the community of Umatilla. He worked for Fairbanks Scale for 33 years and was a senior scale technician when he retired in 2005.
Bill lived on the 17th hole of Big River Golf Course in Umatilla, where he frequently golfed and was known to extend his yard work onto the golf course. He would prune trees and bushes, trap rodents or anything he could do to make things better. He loved going deer and elk hunting with his son and grandson, where his desire to make the world a better place continued in the forest. He was a member of the American Legion Post #37.
Bill married Barbara Aiken in 1958 in Louisville, Ohio, and from this union four children were born. The couple divorced several years later. He later married Sandra Moore in Umatilla on March 6, 1993.
He is survived by his wife of 28 years, Sandra; children, Robin Deem, William V. “Butch” Keyser, Anna Keyser Guy and Matthew J. Keyser; stepsons, Robert and
Greg Gaines; sister, Mona Lou Garrott; 12 grandchildren and two great grandchildren; and many extended family members.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Ted, Fred and Tim.
A graveside service with military honors will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 26, 2021 at the Sunset Hills Cemetery in Umatilla.
To leave an online condolence for the family, please go to burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements.
