Keith Lynn Minard

Keith Minard, 73, of Des Moines, Iowa, passed away on February 19, 2026. He was born on February 20, 1952, to William C. "Red" and Alice Jeanne (Snider) Minard.

Keith graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1970 and went on to serve his country in the United States Army. Following his military service, he built a long and dedicated career as a plumber, retiring from Cook Plumbing in 2017.

Shortly before retiring, and with a quick tutorial from his son, Nick, Keith learned to weld so he could build trellises for Rita's beloved clematis collection. His artistic eye and natural talent soon led him to create additional metal pieces, and Keith's Garden Art was born. What began as a small "mom and pop" venture turned into years of vending at garden symposiums and art shows.

Keith's many talents were evident in the countless remodeling projects around the home he shared with his wife, Rita, for 40 years. Rita often said, "I am so lucky to have a husband who is handsome AND handy." He fully embraced her love of gardening, proudly taking on the nickname "Dirt Dude" as he dug garden beds, hauled soil, built decks, and helped create several outdoor garden "rooms". Their garden was featured on the inaugural Beaverdale Garden Walk, welcomed garden clubs from near and far, and was included in the 2012 Polk County Master Gardeners Tour. While Rita was the plant enthusiast, it was Keith's steady hard work that made those tours possible.

Over the years, Keith also shared in Rita's dream of seeing the world. Together they explored numerous National Parks and traveled to Italy, Ireland, Hawaii, Moorea, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia - even snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef - as well as Mexico, Canada, several European countries, and many destinations across the United States. Above all, Keith cherished time spent with family and friends. He was deeply loved and truly one of a kind.

"Far too many fear death and regard it as the worst disaster that can befall them: they know nothing of what they speak. Death comes as a dissolution from an exhausted body... Just as the body leaves the mother's womb when it is mature in it, so also does the soul leave the body when it has come to perfection."

- Dan Brown, The Secret of Secrets

Keith reached that perfection on February 19, 2026 - just one day before his 74th birthday.

Keith is survived by his wife, Rita; their children, Chris Espersen, Nick (Melody) Minard, and Kevin (Toni) Minard; their grandchildren, Walter, Nathan, Jeff, Gabe, Keyla, Cael, Dominic, Nancy, and Emara; his siblings, Pam (Denny) Core, Marsha Hines, and Sheila (Terry) Thomas; and many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, William C."Red" Minard and Alice Jeanne Minard.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, March 28th, 2026 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Plumbers & Steamfitters Local Union 33 (2501 Bell Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50321). Memorial contributions may be made to the Food Bank of Iowa or the EveryStep Foundation.