Charles Keller

Charles Benjamin Keller, a longtime Boulder resident and well-known dentist, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Monday, May 12th, 2014, at Boulder Community Hospital, where he had been hospitalized for two weeks. Charles was the eighth and youngest child of Priscilla Blume and Benjamin Keller, born on July 28th, 1922, in Wolcott, Indiana where he grew up and attended all twelve grades in the same school building in which his siblings and aunts had been educated. After graduating from Wolcott High School, he studied at the University of Wisconsin/Madison, until he was drafted into the Army during World War II in January, 1943. His military service included training at several universities, including Rutgers and Drexel, until he was transported to the Pacific theater where he was scheduled to engage in the invasion of Japan. The armistice was signed in time for him to become a member of the occupation forces where he served with the 22nd Transportation Corps Amphibious Truck Battalion Medical Detachment. He was honorably discharged in March, 1946 and returned to the United States. Charles enrolled in the University of Southern California Dental School and it was there that he met his wife, Shirley Jean Starkey, whom he married on June 24, 1949, a year before he graduated. He practiced dentistry in Southern California until 1953, when he was lucky enough to move to beautiful Boulder, Colorado and begin the career that continued for thirty-four years until his retirement in 1987. His first dental office was located just north of what is now the Pearl Street Mall; he later moved to the Oak Park Medical Center on South Broadway, half a block from the home he built for his family at 2240 Bluebell Avenue. He was always enthusiastic about his chosen profession, serving as President of the Boulder County Dental Society and cherishing the friendships he developed with his staff, fellow practitioners and patients throughout the years. Dr. Keller's family was very important to him and he was always involved in their lives. He is survived by his wife, of Boulder, four children: Kathryn Starkey Keller, Joan Keller Schrader (David), Brian Charles Keller (Angela), and Andrew Leland Keller (Jodi), ten grandchildren: Jacob Lee Schrader (Liz), Elise Schrader Banker (Jeremy), Eleanor Keller Wedum, Spencer Charles Wedum, Nathan Charles Keller (Melissa), Haley Lucree Keller, Benjamin Thomas Keller, Kevin Bradford Keller, Hannah Christine Keller and Andrew Luke Keller, one great grandchild: Cleo Elizabeth Keller and thirteen devoted nieces and nephews, all of whom are left with fond memories of the many adventures they enjoyed together. Family and friends gathered in Boulder in July of 2012 to celebrate Charles' ninetieth birthday. He was a skilled and knowledgeable gardener, an avid bicyclist, a passionate traveler who loved the outdoors, and a fan of all local sports teams. Charlie loved pie (when his wife wasn't watching), drinking coffee and laughing. He was a man who knew how to repair nearly anything that was presented to him. He refinished furniture all of his adult life and leaves a legacy of beautiful work for his family to continue to use. His thirty five year membership at First Presbyterian Church included faithful participation in the Work Crew, one of his greatest pleasures in retirement and his personal way of expressing his Christian faith. A service honoring his life is planned for June 7th at First Presbyterian Church at 2:00 in the afternoon, and he will be buried in the family plot in Green Mountain Cemetery in Boulder. He is profoundly missed by all who knew and loved him.