Keith Scheid

KEITH SCHEID
April 19, 1960 ˜ October 8, 2023

On the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 8, Keith Scheid passed away after a fierce battle trying to survive the complications of a double lung transplant. He was 63 and far too damned young to go.

He was born in Longview, WA, to Paul and Lucy Scheid. And, while he technically grew up in the Longview/Kelso area, he would argue that he really grew up once he moved away and expanded his horizons.

Keith was a writer with a passion for words that cherished every library card he ever got and every list he ever made. He wrote often, finished a children’s book, and struggled with his novel due to how his condition and medications affected his ability to concentrate, but he never gave up. And to say Keith was an avid reader would be an understatement. He curated an enviable collection of books in his library, read multiple books at a time, and often read to his loving wife.

His passion for music and the arts can be attested to by the sheer volume of live concerts he attended, the abundance of museums visited worldwide, the years of attending plays in various locations and venues (including quite a run of Oregon Shakespeare Festival plays over the years), his efforts to expand his musical instrument playing abilities, and the variety of music he would listen to, dance to, and share with others.

He was a world traveler who’d been to all 50 states, 30 countries, five continents, and whose travel ultimately was only limited by the worldwide COVID pandemic. He was a fearless adventurer as evidenced by his pilgrimage of El Camino de Santiago 10 years into his diagnosis. He was even working with his wife on an itinerary for their next trip just a few days before he passed.

Some things he collected included bookplates, stamps, postcards, concert tickets, mugs, T-shirts, and awesome, bankable memories that he’d often capture in his journals. He also enjoyed craft beers, good scotch, and good times with friends.

He is survived by his wife of just shy of 29 years, Loretta Richardson-Scheid of Vancouver; and his son, John Richardson of Portland.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul Scheid and Lucy (Fitchner) Scheid; his sisters, Marlene Boling and Paula Scheid; and brother, Marvin Fritz.

He would want us to encourage everyone to be organ donors. His transplant failed epically, but so many people benefit from successful transplants every year and live on celebrating and spending more time with loved ones.

Donations in his honor can be made to: Feeding America, Internet Archive Digital Library, or Habitat for Humanity.

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