Obituary of James S. Keeler

Long-time Boulder County resident of 47 years, James (Jim) S. Keeler, passed away from COPD on December 2, 2021 in the TRU Hospice Care Center’s inpatient unit at Longmont United Hospital, CO. Jim was born in Terre Haute, IN on April 21, 1947 to Irvin Harold and Alma Lorene Page Keeler. Jim’s education included graduation from Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, IN. He earned his BS in Biology at San Diego State University, San Diego, CA. From 1966-1968, Jim was stationed at Camp Pendleton, San Diego, CA where he was in the US Marine Corps. After being honorably discharged from the Marines, Jim worked as a police officer for the San Diego Police Department. Jim eventually visited his brothers and sister who lived in Boulder, and he never left. Jim met his future wife, Virginia, on the Pearl Street Mall on Halloween in 1980. They struck up a conversation as they waited in line to get into Potter’s where they both planned to meet friends. Their friends never showed up. Jim and Virginia spent the evening together and have been together ever since. On September 21, 1985, he and Virginia Ann Gebhart married in Boulder. CO. They lived in Lafayette, Longmont, in the county east of Boulder and back in Lafayette, CO, with their two sons, Nick and Michael. During his career, Jim worked construction when he arrived in CO and learned to build roof trusses. He and some friends started a roof truss company, Lyons Components, and it was a great learning experience. In 1990, he started his own company, The Truss Shop, in Denver. Jim and his brother, Jack, worked together building trusses for about 10 years. Jim sold the company and built custom homes for a few years before retiring. Jim showed horses in 4-H when he was young and raised quarter horses again for a few years until the demands of running a small business required he give it up. Nick was two years old and Michael was six months old when Jim started The Truss Shop. Jim worked very hard to launch his business, but always contributed his share as “Mr. Mom” at home. His most enjoyable activity outside of work was fishing. He arranged many family fishing trips to Grand Lake, Lake Granby, CO, Hawaii and Alaska. He especially loved fishing for halibut on the Cook Inlet off Homer and for salmon on the Kenai, Naknek, Brooks and Nushagak Rivers in Alaska. His family remembers him as a hardworking, kind, generous man who was completely devoted to his work and his family. They cherish the memoires of many joyful days spent with Jim on family fishing trips. Jim is survived by his wife, Virginia Gebhart, sons, Nick and Michael, both of Lafayette, CO along with three brothers – Jeff (Lorna) of Boulder, CO, Joe (Billie) of Washington, IN, Jack (Gail) of Fort Collins, CO – and a sister, Jane Keeler of Hood River, OR. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother John Keeler. Jim is survived by his wife, Virginia Gebhart, sons, Nick and Michael, both of Lafayette, CO along with three brothers - Jeff (Lorna) of Boulder, CO, Joe (Billie) of Washington, IN, Jack (Gail) of Fort Collins, CO - and a sister, Jane Keeler of Hood River, OR. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother John Keeler.