John R. Keeling

1926 - 2015

JOHN R. KEELING left this earth for a better place July 4, 2015 in Chico, CA. John was born in Glenmora, Arkansas in 1926. He got his early schooling in Arkansas and Louisiana. In the late 1930's he moved with his family to California; first Susanville and then Burney. When he was a senior at Fall River High School he turned 18 and was drafted into the Army. After his stint in the Army he got his diploma by GED. In 1954 John moved to Arcata where he worked in the lumber mills and joined bowling leagues. It was through the leagues that I met John and we formed a 60-year platonic relationship. John was a cat lover. He would take any stray cat. Before long, when someone wanted to get rid of a cat they would just leave it at John's house. Every one of John's cats had a name and was spayed or neutered. Those cats loved John as much as he loved them. John was also an avid reader. It seemed like he knew something about everything. Mention a subject and he could tell you things about it you hadn't ever heard before. He had the ability to remember all that he read. He could also recite poetry -- long poems like the Rubaiyat -- and not miss a word. John moved to Chico to care for his aging sister who was his last living relative. When she passed he just stayed in her house. He talked about coming back to the Coast, but he never did. We kept in contact by phone and letters. John's father, mother, brother and sister passed before him. He left no relatives and there was no service. John was cremated in Chico. I will miss him for a long time. Rest in peace my friend. Submitted by Marilyn Pearsall. Please sign the guestbook at www.times-standard.com under obituaries.