John H. Keill

1953 - 2020

John H. Keill

Sioux Falls - John Henry Keill, age 66, passed away at Ava's House on Tuesday, June 23, 2020 after fighting Parkinson's and lung disease for several years. John put up a hard and valiant effort like the "true warrior" that he was. He was surrounded by his family in person and friends in spirit.

John was born December 23, 1953 at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska to Dr. James and Lucile Keill. He attended Lincoln Public Schools until his 8th grade year when he begrudgingly left his beloved "Big Red" state and moved to Winona, Minnesota. John graduated from Winona Senior High in 1972. He received his post secondary degree in 1976 from Winona State University earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Social Science with an emphasis in History and Sociology. John continued his education and received his Masters of Education Administration degree from South Dakota State University in 1988.

On June 26th, 1982, John, the original "Bachelor" married Terry Thorpe in Sioux Falls, SD. John and Terry are so proud and honored to raise their two children, daughter Lindsey and son Jonathan, both of whom provided an abundance of joy balanced with a healthy dose of angst during their teen years.

John began his teaching career in 1977 at Edison Junior High where he taught 8th grade Language Arts, Social Studies, and 9th grade Geography. When Edison went to a middle school format, John taught 6th grade Reading and Social Studies for one year before transferring to Washington High School where he became a proud Warrior staff member. John taught 9-12th grade World Geography, A.P. Human Geography, and 12th grade American Government. In addition to his teaching career, John was also a football, wrestling, and track coach. John took his love of teaching to the college level where he taught U. S. and World Geography at the former Sioux Falls College. On a professional level, John was proud of his work, dedicated to geography, and successfully lobbied the state of South Dakota to become the first state in the nation to require geography as part of high school graduation requirements. John became involved with the South Dakota Geography Alliance as a teacher consultant and later served on their Board of Directors. His love for geography was infectious and it afforded him experiences that he never forgot. One of his favorite memories was the month he spent in Washington, DC for a comprehensive teacher workshop at the headquarters of the National Geographic Society. He was honored to meet Gil Grosvenor, the President and Editor of National Geographic while in Washington, a distinct honor he would never forget. To cap off his love of geography, John was honored as the South Dakota Social Studies Teacher of the Year in 1995.

In the 35 years of teaching, John did not take a sick leave day; a point of pride for him. John's greatest gift was his innate ability to reach his students on all levels. He had a gift of connecting with all students; whether it was through his humor, songs, or silly poems, he taught them life lessons that stayed with them into adulthood. The respect and love his students had for John was, and still is evidenced, by the invitations he received to graduation open houses, weddings, and birth announcements. John was loved by his students and he felt honored to be asked to share in their life events.

Grateful for having shared his life are his wife of 37 years, Terry Thorpe Keill; daughter Lindsey (Michael) Keill- Mataalii of Denver, CO; son Jonathan Keill of Sioux Falls; and one grandpuppy, Mr. Scroup. Other survivors include his brother James Douglas (Judy) Keill of Southport, NC; two sisters, Mary Lu (Glenn) Swartz of Palos Verdes Estates, CA, and Jane Keill of Sioux Falls; mother-in-law Luanne Thorpe of Sioux Falls; brother-in-law Todd Thorpe (Petra) of Sioux Falls; and sister-in-law Tracy Thorpe of Yukon, OK; along with several nieces, nephews, and many close friends that are considered family. He is preceded in death by his parents Dr. James and Lucile Keill, infant brother David Keill, and father-in-law Dale Thorpe.

Memorials in John's memory can be sent to Friends of Washington Senior High School, 501 N. Sycamore Ave. Sioux Falls, SD 57110; or John Keill Memorial Scholarship in Geography, South Dakota State University Department of Geography and Geospatial Sciences, Brookings, SD 57007 SDSU Foundation - (605) 697-7475

Memorial services will be Friday, August 7, 2020. Venue is yet to be determined. Please check John's page on the Miller Funeral Home web site for details as that date approaches.

www.millerfh.com