Keith W. Muckleston

Keith W. Muckleston, our beloved patriarch, passed peacefully at his home in Milwaukie, Oregon surrounded by love and family on October 20, 2025.

Born in 1932 to parents Ralph and Lois Muckleston in Seattle, Keith was raised and lived there until joining the Army in 1952. He became a paratrooper and Green Beret. He was stationed in Germany, which led to his life-long fascination with travel, foreign languages, and other cultures.

Returning home in 1958, he finished his masters in geography at the University of Washington. During this time, he met his wife of 54 years Elizabeth. They were lovingly married until her death in 2015.

Keith and Bettie were married August 19, 1961, and moved to Corvallis, Oregon in 1963 after he joined the faculty at Oregon State University. There they lived until 2025 except when Keith and family moved to Seattle for a year while he was finishing his PhD, and two sabbaticals, one in Washington DC in 1975, the other a Fulbright scholarship to Freiburg Germany in 1982-3. His research was water resource management including international treaties and water rights. He spoke internationally including at the United Nations. He was an advocate for salmon conservation. Keith retired in 1995 although he remained active as a mentor and colleague with his department at OSU for many years.

Keith was a life-long learner and a founding member of the Book Club for 60 years. His love of travel took him many places, starting with a motorcycle trip in the 1950s through Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia/New Zealand. Keith and Bettie continued to travel and together they explored many places including Antarctica and Bhutan. He also became a master gardener after retiring. When asked by the hospice chaplain in his final hours if he was afraid, his response summarized his life: "No, just curious..."

Keith is survived by his three daughters Holly Johnson, Kerry Zambrano (Henry), and Carol Congdon (Chris) as well as several grandchildren and great grandchildren.

In lieu of Flowers, please send donations to his scholarship fund, the Keith W Muckleston Scholarship for Excellence in Water Resource Geography or to the Oregon State Marine Mammal Institute.

A celebration of his life will be held in April 2026 in Corvallis.