Thomas Lawrence Keller

Tom Keller was ready, In a Set stance; to tackle Life.

The man had ‘rizz… And though he seemed to sail through a charmed life, it was his grit, integrity, positivity, and work ethic that drove him.

Tommy was born in the fall,1947, in Wallace, Idaho. As the baby of 4 boys to Gracie (Armstrong) and Jack Keller, Tom learned to talk louder, throw harder, run faster, prank with the best, and think quickly to keep up with big brothers Mike, Davey, and Don.
They lived in The Idaho Silver Valley until a mining job took the Kellers to Heber City, Utah.

At 15, Tom started Wasatch High School and excelled academically, at Football, Band, flirting, baseball, Choir, basketball, track, Class President. The kid showed up ready.

Tom saw Diane in her cutoffs, and though his friends told him to stay away from her, “She’s too MEAN!” He did not listen, so the Tom and Diane smoke show officially began his Sr. year. They didn’t look back and were married on October 6th, 1967.

Barely 19 & 20yrs old, in school, and on football scholarship, they scrounged, scrimped, and lived in a trailer, but worked hard, laughed harder, & made it work.

Dad was utterly self-supported, so Football was the key that unlocked the doors to his life. A football scholarship To Weber State University opened up education, and culminated in his Masters at the Univ. of Montana. He had an 11year career in Montana and Utah, as beloved Coach Keller and a stellar Biology teacher.

Weber State won the Big Sky Conference with Keller’s tackles, he coached his way to Football & Track Championships at Gt. Falls High, Jordan, and Hellgate High, Tom made friends for life: fellow athletes, coaches, mentored students, co-workers, Tom collected friends everywhere he went.

With 4 kids, Tom & Di moved to Utah for a sales career, living in Sandy, and later S.Jordan.
He worked with Champion Products; Gear for Sports; Creative Expressions; and retired with Brown and Bigelow.
Nicknamed Thunder Tom, with his booming, boisterous self, to Diane’s lightning spark, they made an electric, athletic, couple, and created a love filled home.
Dad was a full force father. Taught us to throw, fish, trust ourselves, laugh at ourselves. We learned to dance, work hard, play outdoors, to live in awe, to seek out the good in life, and live with integrity.

He loved fall and Football season, good stories with friends, cooking, golf, a Coors heavy, music of every genre, tennis, camping, fishing, desert & Mt. adventures, hiking, not biking. Loved to break out in dance or song, tell Dad jokes, pull pranks, and…
He loved us.
“Growing up with dad in our corner was like being born on 3rd base, in The World Series, and simply walking home.” JD
“Dad would tuck us in every night, and would listen to me babble about my day. He was proud of us just for being us.” Kim
“He is the reason I walk through life with confidence and resilience. His belief in me made me see my own gifts.” Kristy
“As a teen I knew he was a special dad. His chats, cooked meals, gentle support, The warmth we had? it was magic.” Amy

When Alzheimer’s slowly took mom, it literally and figuratively broke his heart. He tried valiantly to stay for us and his adored grandkids, but his heart couldn’t anymore, and just stopped beating, he died so peaceful, at home.

So, just days after his birthday, we imagine Tom and Di finally “sleeping in the desert tonight, with a million stars all around.”
T+D Forever

Survived by Children John Dean (Melanie) Keller; Amy (Mike) Keller-Bills; Kristy (James) Willhite; Kimberly (Chris) Rowland, 11 beloved grandkids, his nieces and nephews, cousins, countless friends & neighbors.

Preceded in death: his parents Jack Keller, Grace Armstrong, brothers Dave, Mike, & Don. His wife, Diane (Moulton) Keller.

A celebration of his life will be on Thursday, October 17 from 6-8 PM at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East, Salt Lake City. Guests are encouraged to use parking and entrance located on the north side of the building. Please bring stories to share starting at 7:30 and wear some Wildcat purple!

A funeral service will be on Friday, October 18 at 1:00 PM, also at Starks Funeral Parlor.