William Oliver "Bill" Keyes

1929 - 2024

After a sudden cardiac arrest, William Oliver "Bill" Keyes of Dripping Springs, TX, passed away on Friday, June 7th, 2024, at the age of 95.

He was born on May 28, 1929, in Hannibal, MO, to Leona Margaret Whaley Keyes and Robert Raymond Keyes. Keyes graduated from Hannibal High School and from the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, in 1951, where he earned a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. After graduation, he served as a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Cocoa Beach, Florida. One of his best friends said of Bill: "He was both an officer and a gentleman!"

Following his military service, Bill joined Mobil Oil and enjoyed a successful career that spanned several years, taking him to various states and countries. He was responsible for supervising oil well drilling in locations such as Sumatra, Indonesia; Lima, Peru; and Lafayette, LA.

In 1954, Bill married Evelyn Berger, and together they raised three boys: Mark, Brad, and Craig. They relocated frequently due to his work, eventually settling in Sugar Land, Texas, and later moving to a home overlooking Lake Travis near Austin, Texas.

After leaving Mobil, Bill joined Western Oceanics as Vice President Operations and eventually became CEO and president. In 1979, he founded his company, Keyes Offshore, Inc., which contracted for the construction of, and operated 7 international Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUS). At the merger of Keyes Offshore with Marine Drilling Co. in 1989, Bill's company consisted of seven drilling rigs which were operated internationally and in the Gulf of Mexico. After the merger with Marine Drilling, Bill subsequently became president of the new entity, and his small, but excellently qualified staff oversaw the management of 27 Mobile Offshore Drilling Units including several deep water as well as extended reach cantilever rigs.

After retiring from his profitable business venture, Bill branched out into ranching, purchasing 2,500 acres of rolling Hill Country near Dripping Springs, TX. He could often be seen bulldozing trees to make way for his sprawling ranch house, barns for his horses, and The Keyes Ranch Airfield. Keyes Ranch is a magnificent property with the house perched on a high hill giving views across the fields, home to his much-loved longhorn cattle, and all the way down to the Pedernales River. At the end of most days, Bill often could be found on the veranda enjoying a bourbon and a cigar with a friend, sharing a beautiful Texas Hill Country sunset.

After fifty years of marriage, Bill lost his wife, Evelyn, to a rapidly spreading form of cancer, but not before she put her flair for design into the plans for the ranch house. Later, he met and married Deborah Saunders Osborne, who came to love Keyes Ranch almost as much as her husband. Besides enjoying their country life, the couple enjoyed traveling the world together making tours of Africa, Spain, France, Vietnam, and Ireland.

When friends were asked to describe Bill Keyes, he was known as a "man's man," someone who loved horseback riding, was an avid hunter both domestically and abroad, enjoyed sailing, and sailboat racing in the Gulf of Mexico, and occasionally on Lake Travis near the family home. He was also a great cook, "always experimenting with different ways to make a special dish," a close friend recalled.

Bill's large and extended family will miss his many admirable qualities, but most of all, his presence. He leaves behind his widow, Deborah Keyes, of the home; his only brother, Robert "Bob" Keyes, of Birmingham, AL; his sons, Mark (Brenda) Keyes, Houston, TX; Brad Keyes of Temecula, CA, and Dripping Springs, TX; and Craig (Candance) Keyes, Dripping Springs, TX. Also mourning his passing are four grandchildren: Kelli (Amy) Holtman, Liberty Hill, TX; and Morgan, Cassie, and Cameron Keyes, all of Dripping Springs, TX. In addition, Keyes has one great-grandchild: Alex Holtman, Liberty Hill, TX. Of course, this compilation would not be complete without adding Bill's two nephews and a niece to whom he was very close: Greg (Becky) Keyes, Birmingham, AL; Dr. Bill (Dana) Keyes, WaterColor, FL; and Kati (David) Greenky. His great-nephew is Capt. Will (Margaret) Keyes, Macon, GA, and their children, Robert and Charles, who are Bill's great-great-nephews. Last, but not least, his favorite horse, Casey of Keyes Ranch fame.

A memorial service for the immediate family and close friends will be announced later. William Oliver "Bill" Keyes