James Rufus Keel

James Rufus Keel, 80, died peacefully July 19, 2012, at Providence Hospital in Anchorage surrounded by his family.

Services will be held at Kehl’s Palmer Chapel, 209 S. Alaska St., Palmer, on July 28 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

James was born in Clintwood, Va., on Jan. 23, 1932, to Milton Keel and Wyoming Browning.

James was the son of a farmer and grew up to work in the coal mines prior to joining the Air Force in 1951. Master Sgt. James R. Keel is preceded in death by his brother Joe and sisters Marion and Nancy and his wife of 47 years Better Jane Keel, whom he met while at the NCO Club in Maryland in 1960. They married on April 26, 1961.

They moved to Shilling Air Force Base in Salina, Kan., where their sons were born Aug. 12, 1962 — twins James and William Keel — and Michael Douglas Keel on Feb. 23, 1964.

Being a military family, they moved from base to base until November 1972, when they made the journey north to Anchorage. James retired from the Air Force on Nov. 30, 1974.

After retiring from the military, he was active in his children’s Little League baseball teams and then helped to develop and construct the senior league field at Lions Park in Mountain View. He worked for Teamsters as an engineer at the Teamsters Hospital.

In December 1982, James and his family made the Mat-Su Valley their home.

James enjoyed hunting and fishing with his family and friends, playing pinochle and listening to music.

James is survived by his siblings Sam Keel of Edinburgh, Va., and Steve Keel of Spotsylvania, Va.; sons, James and Michael Keel of Big Lake and William Keel of Wasilla; stepchildren, Linda Stehman, Elaine Vibbert and Stephen Hays; grandchildren, David Vibbert, Justin and Jeremy Anderson, Jamie Burton, Cheree and Terry Keel, Tyler Keel and Ashley and Fuchsia Keel; and great-grandchildren, Jacob Vibbert, Shayne Marie Keel-Casqueira and Shelby Elizabeth Burton.