Darlene Gay Keller

1945 - 2016

Darlene Gay Keller, age 70, passed away April 8th, 2016 in Temple, TX after a long and hard battle due to complications from West Nile Encephalitis. Darlene was born on October 18th, 1945 in St. Louis, MO to Robert August and Leona (Horowitz) Keller. Her childhood years were spent in St. Louis, MO, later moving to California with her parents, her older sister Roberta and her younger brother Charles. She graduated from Gardena High School in 1963 and three years later, she married O. Dale Duncan and had two children-Diana Lee and Dennis Dale Duncan. In 1977 Darlene graduated from El Camino College with an AA in Respiratory Therapy. She worked at Santa Monica Hospital as a staff respiratory therapist, and eventually became the manager of Pulmonary Services in 1979. At Santa Monica Hospital, Darlene helped develop a Tertiary Neonatal Unit, an Extended Care Facility Respiratory Care and a Hyperbaric Unit. In 1981 she was married to Gary Wiehle. In 1984 Darlene went back to school, getting her BA in management from Redlands University, also that year her third child Kathleen Clair was born. After Kathleen had already started school, Darlene and Gary decided to leave Southern California for the Sacramento area and settled in Davis, CA where she remained until just recently. Darlene went to work for the Sutter Health system in 1990. In time she went on to become the Pulmonary Rehab Coordinator at Sutter General. She loved working closely with her patients and developed very close relationships with many of them. Darlene also loved to host the foreign exchange students that attended UC Davis. She has had students from all over the world over the past 25 years. She has stayed in touch with many of them whom lovingly call her 'mom'. They brought her such joy and happiness. After 20 plus years with Sutter, she retired in 2011, and was able to finally travel the United States with her friends and family. She went on several cruises, a trip to New York and New Orleans and her last trip was with her granddaughter Brooke along the coast of California. Darlene is survived by her daughter Diana Goodloe of Copperas Cove, TX; daughter Kathleen Sullivan of Ceres, CA; Sister, Roberta Eichelkraut of Denton, TX; half-sisters Sheryl Cooksley of Tualatin, OR and Sue Berry of St. Louis, MO; half-brother Ronald Ortega of OR. She also is survived by four grandchildren, Brooke Ann Behara, Wyatt John Behara and Rhett Cody Dale Behara of Copperas Cove, TX and Bailey Elisabeth Sullivan of Ceres, CA along with many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents Robert and Lee Keller, her mother Leona Ortega, her brother Charles Keller and her son Dennis Duncan. Memorial services will be held Saturday May 7th, 2016 at the First Baptist Church of Davis at 1 p.m. 38141 Russell Blvd Davis, CA. In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento - Pulmonary Rehab. c/o Sutter Medical Center Foundation - In Memory of Darlene Keller. 2800 L St. Suite 420, Sacramento, CA 95816 and/or Shriners Hospital for Children of Northern California c/o Development Office 2425 Stockton Blvd Sacramento, CA 95817. Please make note it is in Memory of Darlene Keller.