Ralph Keele's Obituary
Ralph B. Keele died at the age of 91 in Burlingame. A resident of San Mateo, he is survived by his wife of 38 years Joy B. Keele and his son Ralph Jr. of Tucson, AZ. Ralph was the last survivor of the 7 children of William A. and Nancy Keele. He was pre-deceased by his first wife Marian Keele and his daughters Cheri Keele and Marcia Pimentel. He is also survived by a large extended family in both the United States and Canada. Born in Salt Lake City, he was graduated from the University of Utah in 1940. After graduation, he was a reporter for the Salt Lake City Tribune before serving as a pilot in the Air Corps. He flew 50 missions in North Africa with the 97th Bomb Group. After crossing the hump from India to China numerous times, he ended his Air Force active duty ferrying troops from Okinawa to Japan prior to the signing of the peace treaty. He received many citations including a Distinguished Flyer Cross with Clusters and a Chinese Government Medal. After working as a Flight Superintendent for regional and major airlines for 33 years, he retired in 1983 and returned to San Mateo. An active Episcopalian, he served on various committees and commissions for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Burlingame, as well as serving as Junior Warden and Senior Warden. Ralph was an avid Contract and Duplicate Bridge player for 40 years. He enjoyed walking Sawyer Camp Trail in the mornings and playing bridge in the afternoons. The Memorial Service will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Burlingame, Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 11:30 a.m. Services will be conducted by the Reverend Thomas Skilling and the Reverend Sally Boelter. Services will be followed by a reception at the church.
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