Russell Lowell Keifer, 94, passed away April 15, 2024, at his home, surrounded by family.
His life was defined by a strong loyalty and devotion to those he loved, as well as an unwavering commitment to deeply held personal values of hard work, authenticity, and drive.
While never one to suffer fools or bullies gladly, Russell was forever ready to extend a hand or assist a friend, always following his instinct to help others.
Russell had an intrinsic love and aptitude for all things mechanical, an ability that manifested itself in a long and successful career, as well as in an impressive range of pastimes, from aviation to precision instrument and timepiece repair to manufacturing of firearms and small engines.
He masterfully transformed airplanes, vintage automobiles and old tractors from salvage to top condition and often applied his considerable talents and the tools of his trade to provide service to friends, neighbors, and family.
This love of machines and a fascination with how they worked remained at the center of Russell’s universe for his entire life.
Russell was born in Huntington, West Virginia, on April 13, 1930, to the late Herman Selkirk Keifer and Josephine Elizabeth Strank.
In 1946, young Russell joined the Navy, despite being one year short of the minimum enlistment age of 17. To work around this age requirement, Russell presented a birth certificate that was, perhaps, less than genuine, and soon found himself aboard the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge.
During a four-year tour of duty as a torpedoman, Russell saw the world. Ports of call included Australia, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Iran, Panama, Tunisia and Turkey. Among the ship’s notable guests were the Shah of Iran and South Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral William F. “Bull” Halsey.
Upon Russell’s Honorable Discharge from the Navy, he began a career at North American-Rockwell Aviation in Columbus, Ohio, where he served as a Heat Treat Inspector, Aircraft Inspector, Clearance Delivery Supervisor, Quality Control Supervisor and Technical Writer.
On December 29, 1956, he married Lois Ann Talbott. They raised a family in Knox County and remained married for 67 years. They were members of the Berlin Methodist Church.
Russell retired at the age of 55 after 35 years of service at Rockwell. He and Lois Ann then traveled throughout the U.S. in their little camper, touring many state and national parks and visiting nearly all of America’s Lower 48.
Russell was an accomplished aviator, attaining a Private Pilot certification in the 1950s after passing the FAA written exam with a rare perfect score. He flew throughout the Midwest in a vintage Taylorcraft BC12D he restored and maintained with his own hands.
He was a cautious and skilled but often bold and daring pilot. Tales of his stick-and rudder exploits included emergency landings in muddy farm fields and getting in a predicament with the FAA for unintentionally busting VFR minimums in declining weather near Port Columbus. He enjoyed honing his skills by performing wingovers, loops, spins and slips along with touch-and-go landings in extremely windy weather. He once nearly careened off a runway when a kitten he was ferrying for a family member dug its claws into his back during takeoff. Whatever the situation, Russell’s skill and deep knowledge of his aircraft’s capability saw him home safely.
Russell experienced his share of hardship and challenge, both of which he faced with stoicism and resilience. At the age of 86, a farm accident left him with a crushed pelvis, trauma which took Russell down a long road of surgery and physical therapy. However, he ultimately returned to the things he loved, working in his shop, and even cutting firewood until the final two years of his life. When pain and diminished mobility made these activities no longer possible, he pivoted to other interests, learning to use a tablet computer to search the Internet, watch videos and follow current events.
Honoring the past and those who came before was important to Russell. Later in his life, he developed a keen interest in the Keifer family’s origins in Germany. In 1995, after 12 years of painstaking, pre-Internet research, he published a comprehensive book detailing the Keifer genealogy. The book resides in the Library of Congress and the Mormon Church archives and has become a cornerstone for those researching the Keifer genealogy.
In his prose on the family’s roots, he wrote this:
“Our ancestors were people not unlike ourselves. They lived everyday lives much as we do today. They worked, loved, sought better lives, fought wars, suffered and died… If we have no knowledge of our forefathers, and the hardships and sacrifices they endured, then we can never fully appreciate that which they provided to us, and, in our incognizance, may give no thought to preserving our inheritance for future generations.”
Russell was preceded in death by his parents, and a brother, Richard Keifer. He is survived by His wife, Lois Ann Keifer; two sons, Russell (Marsha) Keifer Jr., and Eric Keifer; a grandson, Barry Keifer; and beloved cats Pepper and Nellie.
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