Rick Keller, June 16, 1949 - August 22, 2025
Rick Keller, a long-time leader of the Potomac River Group, died last month after a short illness. Rick spent many years as chair of our local group. As a long-time Arlingtonian, Rick had an unmatched knowledge of local leaders and institutions and served as a mentor to many of the people who now lead our local group. Rick was intelligent, hard-nosed, passionate and a lot of fun to work with. We will miss him dearly.
The following is from an obituary issued by Rick’s family
Robert Charles Keller Jr. passed away on Friday, August 22nd near his home in Arlington, Virginia. Depending on when you had the pleasure of knowing him, you may have called him “Robert”, “Bob”, or “Papa K”, but his family most often referred to him as “Dad” or “Rick.” Born on Scott Airforce Base in Belleville, Illinois, on June 16th, 1949, Rick spent his childhood moving from base to base with his mother and sister as they followed his father’s Air Force placements. In particular, his time living in England had a deep impact on his life–seen not just in the close relationships that he formed with neighbors, but in his love of strange candies (like aniseed balls) and his romanticization of the American West, all of which stemmed from his formative years in the UK.
Rick’s family eventually settled in Arlington, Virginia where he excelled in athletics at Washington-Liberty High School, graduating in 1967. Arlington became Rick’s permanent home, save for his 4 shenanigan-filled years at Penn State University, where he majored in Political Science and ill-advised pranks. His time at Penn State is most notable, however, for the friendships he built there. “Bob” and his friends from the Cottonwood Dormitory have met in State College for an annual reunion and golf tournament for over 50 years. Rick’s dependability and commitment to the people close to him, as well as his ability to bring humor and levity to any gathering, is a constant theme throughout his life.
Rick met his wife, Kate, while working at the ever-romantic Bureau of Labor Statistics. They married in April of 1986, celebrating their union with a cross country road trip. During the 43years of their relationship, traveling together and collecting beautiful art and memories (and an impressive array of refrigerator magnets), was a favorite pastime for them both. They instilled their love of travel into their two daughters, Megan and Leslie. The 1990s are full of memories of trips to England, long cross country drives, and many nights spent camping. Rick took special care and effort to plan these family vacations, documenting every moment with his trusty camera and, after something inevitably went wrong, always finding the humor in the situation during the numerous retellings.
After 30+ years working in the US Government, Rick began his well-earned retirement in 2004. This period is marked by two significant additions to his life. The first was his extensive volunteer work with environmental groups like the Sierra Club and Eco Action Arlington, with whom he held a variety of leadership positions over the years. The second was his newfound love of Pickleball, which he played at the local community center well before Pickleball became a staple of mainstream culture. Rick competed in the Community Center’s Senior Olympics for several years, even being featured on the local news for his participation. Despite the accolades, once again the most significant part of this period were the friendships that he formed along the way. Among the other Pickleball enthusiasts, Rick found not just stellar athletes, but a community of folks who appreciated his wit and made him laugh.
In the last years of his life, Rick’s family grew to include two sons-in-law and a large extended family, whom he loved. It also grew to include his daughters’ pets, who he claimed to be unsure about, but to whom he was also often caught giving treats. In July of 2025, the family spent a wonderful weekend together at a house in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, the town where Rick’s parents, “Bob” and “Hibby” met and fell in love. This time together was cherished just a month and a half later, as Rick passed peacefully, surrounded by his family.
There is so much to say about Rick. He loved History, especially Scottish and Early American, through which he studied his family’s genealogy. He rooted for Manchester United and the New York Yankees. He collected Buffalo figurines, sculptures, and art because it reminded him of how he pictured the American West as a child. He had a very specific, mischievous way he would smile after he told a joke and was waiting for people to get it. There are countless stories and quirks to this man, and yet the way he will be remembered most- by his friends, by his children, by his wife- is the way he made you feel when you were with him: welcomed, loved, and probably laughing.