Paul W. Keller

Paul Keller was born June 18, 1941, the son of Paul and Florence Keller.  He was always a musician.  Even when he worked at other employment, there was still a choir to rehearse and church services to play.  A graduate of RPI, now VCU, Paul could be found on an organ bench up until about two years ago.  Known as a soloist's accompanist, he was adept at following a singer, even when the singer changed tempo, pitch, or just got lost in the music -- Paul stayed with you!!! 
 
While at RPI, he was called into the dean's office one day.  Wondering what he had done wrong, he was surprised to hear that he was being sent to another Virginia college as their spring tour accompanist due to the illness of the college's accompanist.  He was told not to worry about school work, just "learn the music" (in less than a week's time) -- and it turned out to be a great experience for him.
 
Other than church work, he sold organs and pianos at stores in Virginia and Mississippi.  Paul worked for a time at Sentara Hospital in Hampton -- actually being allowed to watch operations there -- and later at their corporate headquarters in Chesapeake.  This was followed by time at the Naval Air Station, Norfolk; Warwick Forest Retirement Community; and Pollard's Florist.
 
Paul's first church jobs were in Lynchburg and Roanoke, where he also accompanied other music organizations.  With the exception of about a four year period, Paul was the Minister of Music at First United Methodist Church in Norfolk from 1986 until his retirement about two years ago.
 
A friend, a family man -- he was a member of lots of families, an artist, an avid TV watcher and reader, a good cook, a collector of various things, Paul was special to many people.
 
A memorial service, to celebrate Paul's life, will be held at 3:00 PM Saturday, April 15, 2023, at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 45 Main Street in Newport News.  Arrangements are by Berceuse Funeral and Cremations Traditions, 757-825-8070.