David Merrill Keeler, 79, of Greenwood, SC, passed away at home with family on April 6, 2023 after a long battle with Parkinson’s.
Dave was born in Columbus, OH, July 19, 1943. He loved to sing, especially in a choir or a quartet, and also played in a trumpet trio during his high school years. He sang at many weddings through the years. He attended Olivet Nazarene University, where he met Eloise Gossett; they married in 1963. In 1965, he graduated from Ohio State University, with a degree in Economic and Statistical Analysis. He began working for Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical in Detroit, MI, then transferred in 1967 to the Greenwood, SC plant, where he became a manager.
He was a member of South Main Baptist Church, until 1975 when he went to Northside Baptist Church to serve as Choir Director. He became Director of Church Ministries there, as well as a deacon. He had a heart for kids and was the founder and director of the PALS organization in Greenwood. He was on the S.C. Foster Care Review Board and the Greenwood Youth Advisory Council. He and Eloise together were also houseparents at the Mauldin Perrin Youth Home. Dave was instrumental in starting Calvary Chapel Greenwood, where he was an elder; Greenwood Christian School, where he served on the school board; and Crossroads Pregnancy Center, where he also served as a board member. He was the owner and operator of Executive Services Temporary Employment Service.
He designed and built a summer house in Colorado, where family and friends were privileged to go for over twenty years. He loved making driftwood sculptures, as well as paths, and made many paths for others to follow, both physical and spiritual.
Dave was predeceased by his parents, his sister Carol, and his brother Robert. He is survived by his wife, Eloise, his sister Marilyn Bowers of Las Vegas, NV, his son Todd, with wife LeAnne of Gaithersburg, MD, and his son Tim, with wife Sumika of Greenwood, SC. He is also survived by six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
A memorial service to celebrate Dave’s life will be held Thursday at 4:30 p.m. at Calvary Chapel on Woodlawn Road. The family will receive friends after the service.