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July 18, 1936 – September 30, 2025
Donald E. Keefer, 89, passed away peacefully on September 30, 2025, surrounded by his family
in Ogden, Utah.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on July 18, 1936, Don graduated from Shaler High School in 1954 before attending Carnegie Institute of Technology, where he completed his civil engineering degree in 1959 while participating in the ROTC program. Following graduation, Don proudly served his country as a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army from 1959 to 1961, where he was a Ranger and Commanding Officer of Company B Engineering Battalion in Korea.
Upon returning to Pittsburgh, Don met the love of his life, Patricia Fowkes. They married in 1962 and shared nearly 60 wonderful years together in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania. Don built a career with the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad, where he worked for 28 years before retiring in 1993. An avid outdoorsman, Don found great joy in hunting and fishing, especially alongside his sons, brother, and nephews.
Don was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Patricia (Fowkes) Keefer, and their son, Jay Keefer. He is survived by his son Jeffrey Keefer and daughter-in-law Margie (Chiado) Keefer; granddaughters Kathleen (Keefer) McCollum and Valerie (Keefer) DiMarzio; and his brother, Thomas Keefer, who will miss him every day.
A small memorial service will be held for immediate family and close friends at Good Shepherd Cemetery in Monroeville on Saturday, October 11, at 1:30 p.m
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