Richard Keppler

On Christmas Day, 2024, Big Bear lost an historical legend and a great friend. Richard Carl Keppler, 78 years old, passed away on Wednesday, December 25, 2024 at Bear Valley Community Hospital Emergency Room. Rick was a beloved father, husband, and friend who is deeply missed by all who knew him.
Rick was born on June 3, 1946 in Glendale, California to his parents, Carl and Helen Keppler. He graduated Glendale High School in 1964 and signed up to join the Marine Corps in 1966 Following his four years of service Rick relocated to Big Bear permanently and began his career in real estate and the building of homes in the Big Bear Valley. By the 1980's he left real estate to follow his passion of photography, opening his PhotoWorks business which started off as a photo print and camera shop in the Stater Bros. shopping center. Beginning in the 1990's, following the closing of his storefront, Rick transitioned the PhotoWorks into one of historical photos and books. With a collection of more than 1000 historical photos, Rick restored and sold quality prints of historical Big Bear and the surrounding San Bernardino Mountains. Rick wrote and published multiple books on the history of Big Bear and partnered with other authors on the creation of several books that tell Big Bear's story. Rick's personal publishing includes: Vanishing Big Bear (1995), Empire in the Sky (1997), Points Unknown (2001, coauthored with John Bratton), and Vanishing Big Bear 2 (2017). In the early 2000's Rick began his work managing Big Bear's local TV Station, Channel 6, where he also wrote, directed, and produced the Big Bear History Show for two years. In the years following he worked with his good friend and fellow Big Bear historian Mark Durban to create historical videos which can be found on YouTube and Facebook at Fascinating Big Bear.
Rick's dedicated work and passion for the Big Bear community was extensive and impactful. But more than anything, Rick was a devoted father to his daughter, Kaela, and stepsons, Shea Spencer and JW (John) Richards, as well as a loving husband to his partner, Cora "Jeanne". Rick was a man of many passions including photography, science, philosophy, history, and spending time in the outdoors. In his free time he could be found hiking Big Bear's many trails and photographing wildlife and the legendary sunsets and sunrises of the Big Bear Valley. While this covers a brief summary of his life and accomplishments, the extent of Rick's contribution to this Valley extends beyond words, as the hearts of all who knew him will deeply cherish his memory for the remainder of our days.