Anthony Keblesh

A small piece of Anthony ("Tony") Keblesh died when the original Weit's Café in downtown Morris, Illinois, closed in 2022. The rest of him passed away on March 12, 2026, surrounded by his loving children.

Tony was born on May 28, 1957, in Akron, Ohio, and spent his young years as the seventh of eight living children, the last of the six boys, sandwiched in between the two girls in a loving, yet very loud Catholic home. Because of his position in the class system known as birth order, Tony decided if anyone was going to get him out of having to be the last one to wear whatever clothes made it down to him by the grace of God, it was going to be him, and at the age of 7 years old got his first job sweeping the floors at the neighborhood bakery. When he was old enough to finally get himself a bicycle, he graduated to the neighborhood paper route and enjoyed the peace and quiet so much, he found himself riding around town long after all the papers were on their designated porches. From wanting some sort of individuality and personal space, he gave himself not only a work ethic that never wavered, but a life-long passion for the feeling of peace and solitude a man can find only when he is on two wheels.

Tony showed up to school just enough to break a few hearts, pull some pranks and barely graduated from Central Hower High School in 1975. Even though higher education was not something he was remotely interested in pursuing, he still felt there was more for him out there he wanted to see before he put down roots. He decided to give the truck-driving life a try, and ended up traveling all over the country, seeing and experiencing things during rapid change in our country that coincided with the formidable years of his life and shaped his very concrete morals. Once he had seen everything he wanted and needed to see, this Ramblin' Man decided it was time to come home.

It was shortly after this that he locked eyes with a bartender named Brenda Sue at a local biker bar, right after she told off a patron for being disrespectful. He said hi. She said hi. They were married six months later. This love turned out to be the defining relationship of his life, leading to a move to Morris, Illinois, for the opportunity of a better life, and the two people that he based every aspect of his life around until his last breath, his daughter, Sarah Elise ("Pup"), and his son, Anthony James ("Little Tony"). Even though life happened and they eventually parted ways, Tony and Brenda were able to find common ground and appreciation for each other again before her unexpected passing in 2011.

Tony was a valued member of the LyondellBasell team from 1988 until he made the decision to take his talents to the retirement league (that's a Lebron James reference for all you Akronites) and became a full-time Harley-riding Pop-Pop in 2015. He spent 27 years of his life working and putting everyone before himself, and after the birth of his first grandson, Brayden, in 2013, he decided it was time to start playing a little bit more. The years they spent watching the Ohio State Buckeyes, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Investigation Discovery eating bowls of fresh-cut fruit in the recliner together prepared him for the rapid influx of grandsons he experienced in a short amount of time, with Nathan being born in 2017, Samuel in 2019, and Hudson in 2020, which brought the addition of his bonus grandson, Mason. There was a running joke going between Tony and his children on who was going to draw the "short straw" and keep trying for a girl, but the truth of the matter was, he never smiled brighter than when the whole Keblesh Cousin Crew of boys was playing and laughing right in front of him (and she would never admit it, but Sarah liked still being Daddy's only princess).

Tony is survived by his daughter/princess, Sarah Cox (Daniel); son and favorite riding buddy, Anthony Keblesh (Erin); grandsons, Brayden Keblesh, Nathan Cox, Samuel Cox, Hudson Keblesh, and Mason Manella; brothers and role models, Joseph Keblesh (Annie), James Keblesh (Patricia), identical twins Thomas Keblesh (Barb) and Timothy Keblesh; and his sisters/keepers, Ruth Zuchowski, and Mary Keblesh; brothers and sisters-in-law, Frederick Moore (Cathy), Tricia Moore, and Beverly Moore. Right after being a father and grandfather, he felt most blessed to be the uncle to his nephews and nieces, Joseph Keblesh, Jr. (Cynthia), Jerry Keblesh (Janine), Jason Keblesh (Dr. Shazah Khawaja), Jonathan Keblesh, Julie Thurston, Jennifer Keblesh, Dr. James Keblesh, Michael Keblesh (Hanh), Eric Keblesh (Chris), Christy Keblesh, Thomas Keblesh (Natalie), Kari O'Neill (Matthew), Angela Keblesh, Allison Keblesh, Jessica Zuchowki, Tony Zuchowski (Katie), Timothy Zuchowski (Amity Duvol), and Michael Moore (Jacqueline), who continued to bless him multiple times over as a great-uncle. Because he always had a "the more the merrier" mentality when it came to family, he wholeheartedly accepted Brayden's mother, Jamie Schmidt (Michael), and their son together, Ford, and let them know every chance he got that they were stuck with him whether they liked it or not. He was also blessed to find love once again with his second-wife, Cheri, and although they decided to part ways prior to his passing, he always credited her for proving love was out there if you were willing to look for it.

Even though he experienced many of life's blessings time and time again, Tony experienced a tremendous amount of loss and was preceded in death by his first wife and soulmate, Brenda Sue; his devoted and loving parents, Joseph and Mary Keblesh; his parents-in-law, Este and Helen Moore; his brother and idol, John Keblesh; three infant brothers who he never had the chance to meet but strived to make proud every day; his sister-in-law and guardian angel, Linda Keblesh; his brother-in-law and the best friend he ever had, Tony Zuchowski; his niece and the apple of his eye, Shari Keblesh; and his maternal Aunt and the woman who shaped him into the country-loving man he grew to be, Bettie Brumfield.

Tony's children would also like to thank some very important people for helping them raise him into the man we all knew and loved: his life-long friend, Carol Mooney-Sloan, who answered every phone call and text and is the person you can count on to have a million stories and pictures from the good old days but still keep his secrets; Dr. David Vermillion, who joked that Tony had "the lives of three cats" when in reality he's just an amazing doctor who became an even better friend and second father to his kids; and the only woman we have ever seen our dad actually be quiet and listen to, Kena Gretz, who didn't let him cave in on himself when things got messy.

In accordance with his wishes (that he sometimes went back and forth on so we just went with the ones he repeated the most), cremation rites were entrusted to UC Davis Funeral Home. He wouldn't want everyone taking off working and hurrying to get anywhere on account of little old him, so his children have decided to load up the bikes, pack their finest leather and Bike Week shirts, and bring their dad to his eternal rest at the family farm in West Virginia, the place he spent all of his summers and family vacations, and the place he truly believed he belonged (thanks, John Denver).