Kieryn Keitel, 74

Kieryn Keitel, a loving wife, academic, educator and writer, of Wallace, Idaho, passed away peacefully at Hospice House in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. She was 74 years old. 

Her ashes will be spread at the place she loved the most, off the white sands of the Pacific Ocean in Coronado Beach, Calif. A memorial service may be held at a later date.

Born Bruce Alden Keitel on March 13, 1951, to Gerald and Joyce Keitel, both of whom preceded her in death, Kieryn grew up in Park Ridge, Ill. There, she earned the rank of Eagle Scout and attended Maine South High School, where she once shared hallways with Hillary Rodham Clinton. 

The summer before her senior year, her parents lured her to move with them to Rolling Hills, Calif., in exchange for a cherry red 1964 MGB ragtop convertible. She graduated from Rolling Hills High School in 1969. Afterward, she completed her undergraduate degree at San Diego State University, followed by graduate coursework and doctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley. She then went on to become a beloved professor and academic administrator at her alma mater, SDSU.

There, she devoted decades to uplifting underrepresented students through literacy and writing programs, championing equity long before it was fashionable. Kieryn was known to many as an advocate for young writers, a passionate educator and a quiet revolutionary. She directed the university's Summer Bridge program, guided countless students through the labyrinth of higher education and co-authored nationally cited research on student retention and educational equity. She believed in the power of words to change lives. She was, quite literally, a human dictionary who always chose the best possible words, and also loved to explain the world through her rich vocabulary, insight and wit.

After retiring from academia, Kieryn pivoted into construction and, later, full-time fiction writing. Her reverence for language naturally carried into the creative work that sustained her. "For me," she once wrote, "writing is as natural, normal and essential as breathing. If I am not writing every day, surely I am slowly suffocating." 

In 2014, Kieryn and Elizabeth relocated from San Diego to Wallace, Idaho, a town whose beauty, history and spirit of rebellion spoke to Kieryn's heart. She quickly fell in love with its eccentric culture, friendly community and unapologetic individuality. 

She lived as only she could: joyfully, insightfully and with a steady middle finger raised to convention. 

She is survived by her beloved wife, Elizabeth Keitel; her daughters, Allison Newman and Megan Keitel; her stepchildren, Brandon Himes, Jason Himes, Megan Christison, Hailey Himes and Dustin Himes; her sister, Betsy Dollar and all of their families. She is remembered with pride and love by her grandchildren, and by the many students, readers and colleagues who carry her spirit forward.

"Work hard," she'd say. "Play hard," she'd continue. "Learn a lot," Kieryn would advise. "And please-please-please remember how very much I love you."