Douglas Dean Keller was born on April 2, 1958, in Rapid City to Gordon and Shirley (Degen) Keller. As a toddler, the family moved to Pierre and then settled in Harrold, S.D., where Doug grew up and graduated from Harrold High School in 1976. While in high school, Doug excelled in football and basketball. After high school Doug attended the University of South Dakota at Springfield, where he graduated with an associate degree in Auto Body Mechanics in 1978.
In 1978, Douglas was united in marriage to Jane Bauer. To this union five children were born: Tennile, Jamie, Megan, Dana and Courtney. After getting married, Doug worked in the auto body shop at Harding Motors for fourteen years. In 1988 he decided to branch out and co-opened his own body shop “Quality Body Shop” with Mark Wheelhouse in Pierre. Doug made many friends while fixing cars back to where they were before being in an accident. He was very “fussy” about his work and wanted everybody satisfied.
In his spare time he played softball and golf. Doug refereed many basketball games with his brother Terry. He had the opportunity to coach his son in multiple basketball teams.
Doug served on the Harrold School Board and as President of the Board, he got to give his daughter Tennile her high school diploma.
He was also a member of the Harrold Fire Department. Being an avid sports fan, Doug loved watching his daughters and son play basketball, and got to attend several State Tournaments in which his girls participated.
Doug was so proud when the Harrold Cardinal basketball team took the State Title in 1992 in which his nephews Eric Lappe and Quinton Bauer played and his brother-in-law, Dennis Bauer coached.
In 2008, Doug suffered a stroke and had surgery at the Sanford Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls. After this, he moved to Dell Rapids to be closer to his daughters, son Dana and four grandchildren. He loved going to the grandkids sports and other events they had. He was their “papa” to them.
Doug was able to see his youngest daughter, Courtney graduate from Highmore-Harrold high school in May, 2013, so the circle of his children was complete.
He also had a good time with his brothers, Terry and David and was so saddened by the death of David from cancer in 2010.
Doug was working part-time at a Hy-Vee store in Sioux Falls and simply loved his job and fellow employees. He had just started in his spare time, a second job painting semi-truck tires at Pomp’s Tire, which had him working sometimes seven days a week, but he liked to be kept busy.
Doug loved to hunt and fish and looked forward to the annual pheasant season to hunt with his son and son-in-law, plus his friends and brother Terry.
Grateful for having shared his life are his children, Tennile (Bryant) Spoonemore and Jamie Keller of Dell Rapids, Megan Keller, Dana Keller and Courtney Keller of Sioux Falls; his mother, Shirley Sandal and stepdad Don Sandal of Fort Pierre; brother Terrence (Joyce) Keller of Pierre; sisters, Judy Bauer of Spearfish, Deborah Schley of St. Charles, Mo., and Melanie (Bob) Bauer of Harrold. Four grandchildren: Brooklyn and Mason Spoonemore, Jayda and Cutler Kerns all of Dell Rapids; aunts, Bette Petet of Pierre, Eldora Barnes of Harrold, Eileen Schmitz of Albert Lea, Minn., and Shirley Dean Keller of Pierre; one uncle, Gary Keller of Rapid City; stepbrother R.D. (Maree) Sandal of Colorado; stepsisters Suzette (Chad) Hohweiler of Sioux Falls and Dona May (Jeff) Johnson of Pierre; numerous nephews; nieces; and cousins; as well as many friends.
Preceding Doug in death were brothers James and David Keller; father Gordon Keller; brothers-in-law Dennis Bauer, Danny Schley and Mike McDevitt; grandparents Julius and Susan Degen and Bill and Evelyn Keller; and aunt Anita Danielson.
Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Harrold with a prayer service at 7 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct, 25, 2013, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Harrold with interment to be at St. John’s Catholic Cemetery in Harrold.
Condolences may be conveyed to the family at www.feigumfh.com