Henry Chapman Keck

1921 - 2020

02/10/21 - 04/04/2020 Henry Chapman Keck, world-renowned product designer, inventor, author, mentor, and great friend died in Pasadena on April 4, 2020 from a major stoke and heart attack. Henry's sugar shaker and yellow construction barrier light are icons of modern design. Born in Montclair, New Jersey February 10, 1921 to Maxfield and Estella (Marcellus) Keck, Henry's unique arts background included his father, Maxfield H. Keck, an architectural sculptor; his uncle, sculptor Charles Keck, who created the Father Duffy Statue in Times Square; and his uncle Henry Keck, a renowned stained glass church window designer. He graduated from Dartmouth College's Tuck-Thayer Schools in 1943, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and in 1947 received a master's degree in engineering and industrial design from Caltech. In 1951, Henry founded the industrial design firm of Keck-Craig, which emphasized meticulous engineering along with appearance design. Keck-Craig's over 1700 designs included a flight recorder, a golf cart for the disabled, a portable aspirator, hand soap dispensers, thermostat controllers, a tennis ball machine, and seed tape/dispensers many of which are known worldwide. Henry entered semi-retirement in 2006 and continued to actively help inventors. He lectured on project design and development at Dartmouth College, the University of Southern California's Patent Law Group and the Art Center College of Design. Henry was an author as well as a designer/inventor. His book, How Design Changed America, is a fascinating and insightful book about the influence of design on America. Henry also was a poet, honoring friends and family with original works. Known for his sartorial elegance, Hermes ties, and intense tennis games, "Henry the Great" was a fifty-year member and past president of the Los Angeles Economic Round Table, a life member of the Caltech Associates and Athenaeum, and a member of the Valley Hunt Club and The Twilight Club. Henry's two brothers, Charles and George, predeceased him. Henry is survived by nieces and nephews Karen Keck Greenwalt, Thomas M. Keck, Nancy Molina, Barbara Bostrom, Vicki Keck, Stephen Keck, Dan Keck and James Keck as well as numerous grand nieces and nephews, his dearest friend Martha Tolles, and many others who offered their love and support throughout his life. Henry will be buried at the Riverside National Cemetery. Foothill Funeral Home is assisting the family. A memorial in Henry's honor will be held later this year. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Howard Hughes Medical Institute or the California Institute of Technology scholarship fund.