In Memory

Jim Maynard Keller VIEW PROFILE

Jim Maynard Keller

James Maynard Keller was born on April 7th, 1944, to Howard Dale Keller and Marilyn Morgan in West Warren, Utah. Maynard graduated from Weber High School in 1962 and completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Utah in 1966. He then ventured to graduate school, first at Brown University, then completed his Master of Social Work degree at the University of Utah. Upon completion, he went to work at Rockland Psychiatric Center in Orangeburg, NY. Focusing his energy on child psychiatry, Maynard then worked for decades at Rockland Children's Psychiatric Center (RCPC), where he brought his thoughtful creativity to bear in the service of children. A caring and compassionate man, he always sought to bring out the best in people and made a significant difference in several people's lives.

After his years at RCPC, Maynard turned to his other passions. As a photographer, he had a special interest in abstractions from nature and the human form. As a writer of provocative and philosophical performance poetry, he offered a view of maturity leavened by wit and humor. He pleased audiences with dynamic readings, almost always memorized, and was a uniting force on slam teams. In one Poetry Month marathon, he read at 30 different NYC venues.

He was a photographer, poet, thinker, uncle and fierce friend to those lives he touched.

Maynard worked for and supported environmental advocacy and requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Greenpeace or the Nature Conservancy of Utah.

He was deeply involved with TRUCE Utah and worked tirelessly as an advocate for legalizing medical cannabis.

Maynard is preceded in death by his parents, Howard Dale and Marilyn Morgan; his aunt Joan Nelson, his uncle David Morgan; and his sister, Karen Marilyn Post.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/saltlaketribune/name/james-keller-obituary?id=31594642



 
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08/21/22 08:29 AM #1    

Dan Gibson

James Keller

Jim lived on the highway near the Wilson Elementary school.  We attended all our schooling through high school together.  He was always the smartest kid in all our classes.  I often wondered what it would be like to be the top student.  If he felt pressure to always be the top in the class, I never sensed that.   It seemed that it was easy for him when in fact it probably wasn’t and obviously required a lot of time and hard study.   When we were in junior high his father allowed him to drive an old car around in the field behind his house.  He had George Jacques, David Stanger and me over for a day and we drove a full tank of gas, each taking turns learning to drive a route around the large field behind his home.  What fun for a 13-year-old.  He was very creative and later in life performed by presenting his poetry.  Not always fitting into the social crowd, (Thus the nick name Maynard) but perhaps that was because he was so intelligent.  He was instrumental in establishing and administering this web site.  He was a long-time friend and I will miss him.


09/22/22 11:26 AM #2    

Dave Stanger

     Jimmy had the best Halloween parties!  His parents would drop us off above Ogden High School and we would load up on candy. Attending Cub Scouts in Wilson Lane was fantastic! He called his mother and dad Marilyn and Howard.  His sister, Karen, worked at Price Savers in the eye center and took good care of our vision needs.  Jimmy, Gary Davis and I did a ton of things together. I accidentally shot an arrow in Jimmy's leg while playing cowboys and Indians and it twanged "just like on TV".  Jimmy cared about people and was a wonderful friend and classmate.


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