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Ret. Andover Firefighter Russell H. Keeler
June 04, 2017

Obituary

Ret. Andover Firefighter Russell H. Keeler, age 88, of Lawrence, passed away peacefully on June 4th, 2017, surrounded by his loving family.

Russell was born in Portland, Maine on January 23, 1929. As a young child, Russell was raised in Revere before the family relocated to Wilmington. Following school, Russell enlisted in the United States Navy in April of 1946 and proudly served for 3 years as part of the Pacific Fleet. He was honorably discharged in 1949 and returned to Wilmington. At the age of 34, Russell fulfilled his dream of becoming a firefighter. He was hired by the town of Andover, where he served for over 30 years. He spent many of those years at the Ballardvale Fire Station, retiring from the job in 1993. Russell had a big heart, a big personality and will be sorely missed by family and friends.

Russell was the beloved husband of over 30 years of Anne C. (Cavanaugh) Keeler of Lawrence. He was the loving father of Russell H. Keeler, Jr. and John Keeler both of Lawrence. Russell was the “Granpa” of Russell H. Keeler, III of Lawrence and Keith Isherwood of Tampa, FL. He was the great-grandfather of Russell H. Keeler, IV of Portsmouth, NH and Ari Keeler of Lawrence. Russell is survived by his step-children; Lee Haan of Castle Rock, CO, Patrick Pierce of Vail, AZ, Sean Pierce of Ojai, CA and Daniel Pierce of Cypress, CA, and his step-grandchildren Harrison and Lauren Pierce of Ojai, CA. Russell was the cherished son of the late Henry J. & Emily M. (Mehrman) Keeler. He was the dear brother of Henry Keeler of Raymond, NH, Jane Trager of Lawrence, Arthur Keeler of Derry, NH, Charles Keeler of Gilford, NH, Richard Keeler of Lynchburg, VA. He was predeceased by his sister, the late Mary Spirdione. Russell is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are most welcome to attend calling hours on Wednesday, June 7th, 2017, from 4 to 7 PM at the Burke-Magliozzi Funeral Home, 390 North Main Street, Andover. A graveside service with military honors will be held at the Wildwood Cemetery, Wilmington, on Thursday, June 8th, at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Russell’s memory may be made to the Merrimack Valley Hospice, Building 9, Lawrence, MA 01843. For additional information, please visit, www.burkemagliozzi.com.

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Burke-Magliozzi Funeral Home
390 North Main Street
Andover, MA 01810
978-475-5200