Joseph Henry Keller Jr., a proud member of The Greatest Generation, was lost on Veterans Day 2019.
Joe was born in 1925 to Nellie Kate Hart Keller and Joseph Henry Keller Sr. of Lexington.
He was raised in Lexington and in 1943 left high school to join the United States Marine Corps. Joe served in the Pacific as a tank driver in the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa, where he was wounded and received a Purple Heart. His unit was deployed to Guadalcanal, and then to China following the Japanese surrender, where he served as a Marine until discharge in 1946.
Returning home, Joe attended National Business College in Roanoke and then moved to Washington, D.C., for a career in mortgage banking. In January 1959, he moved to Charlotte, N.C., to become a manufacturer's representative.
On February 23, 1964, Joe was married in Plymouth, Mass., to June Wood of Plymouth and Washington, D.C. The following year they moved to Richmond where Joe established his sales agency, Joseph H. Keller & Associates Inc. Joe sold his business in 1992 and, still full of energy, worked in the games section of Kings Dominion for eight summers, which he thoroughly enjoyed.
Joe was a faithful Christian and ardent follower of Jesus Christ. He believed his parents and family had "prayed him home" from World War II, and he always sought to use his opportunities in this life for good. A life-long Presbyterian, he was a deacon and elder first at Three Chopt Presbyterian and later at Third Church in Richmond.
Joe never lost his love for Lexington, and he was happiest when he was driving around his farm in Rockbridge County with family and friends or tending to his large vegetable gardens. For 23 years he enjoyed attending football games to cheer for the Virginia Tech Hokies.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, June Keller, and his daughters, Michelle Keller and Jennifer Keller and her husband, Dan Perry.
To celebrate his life, the family held visitation on Thursday, November 14 at Third Church, 600 Forest Ave., Henrico VA 23229. The funeral service was Friday, November 15 at Third Church and a graveside service was held Saturday, November 16 in Stonewall Jackson Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made to Third Church in Richmond or New Monmouth Presbyterian Church.
