Page created by: Silvia Leon

John Keith was born February 8, 1941 in Wyandotte, Michigan. His parents Mary Olenik and Harry Keith moved him to Florida to raise and protect him from the polio epidemic. The rest was a love affair of John and Florida. John loved nature -- camping, bicycling, surfing, running, skydiving -- all outdoor activities were his passion. He loved all critters and animals; he loved children and helping people. As a husband he was kind and loving but, more importantly, he allowed me to be me, to grow and develop into my own person. He never made demands on my time or tried to influence my behavior. Through the years we had our weekly Friday and Saturday date nights, our trips abroad which we split between civilization and nature, and all the intimate shared delights of married couples. Parkinson's robbed him of his faculties in a very slow trajectory but even so he was an inspiration to others skydiving more than 2000 times and always looking on the bright side of things. I will surely miss him the rest of my life -- His wife, Silvia León

My father has been so important in shaping my life it’s almost impossible to quantify. He had a wonderful sense of humor, and we would always laugh and tease each other. He would always send me silly gifts for no apparent reason. Then he would call with scary instructions such as make sure you have a lot of red meat on hand and don’t shake the box too much, you’ll just make it mad. He bought me a blow dart gun and a professional throwing axe with a note that stated, “What every single girl needs.” He was an inspiration to so many people because of his fearlessness and zest for life. He believed life was a gift and you had to enjoy each day to the fullest. He was one of the few people that tried to live up to that ideal. He bicycled twice across the United Stated and through most of the National Parks. He had eight weeks of vacation every year and spent it traveling all around the world. He would jump out of perfectly good airplanes and insist that I go with him. He always told me I could do anything with determination, and I believed him. His absolute belief in me formed the bedrock of the person I am. He always told me, “If you don’t give up, you can’t fail. You’ll get it eventually, just don’t give up.” He was a Force of Nature, and it was a privilege to be his daughter and be loved by him. I will miss him every day for the rest of my life. -- Laurel Santamarina

My father was an adventurous man who preferred wilderness to civilization, bikes to cars, tents to hotels, and falling out of the sky to standing on the ground. My childhood adventures were almost always outdoors, and the degree to which I was supervised varied considerably. Being nearly swept out to sea with my friend on a makeshift raft a notable exception, the vast majority of my shenanigans remain undocumented. Nevertheless, I survived in spite of my efforts. Our greatest adventure together took place in the spring and summer of 1985. My father and I embarked on an 85-day bike tour that began in Virginia and finished in Oregon. It had been one of the driest periods in recent history, and one during which we encountered rain on more than 2/3 of our journey. The trip was good for me; a confidence booster. I developed so much character… The father I experienced wasn’t a one-dimensional thrill-seeker, however. He was also generous with his time and resources, and one who looked for opportunities to help friends, family, strangers, and even animals out of difficult circumstances. He would even lend tools to neighbors. Clearly, he cared.
It isn’t possible to condense a person’s life to a paragraph and my intent was to provide a snapshot of a small part of who he was to me. My father was a good man who loved his adventures great, his tales tall, and his cats happy. He is sorely missed. -- John Keith

My grandfather lived a full life. He jumped out of more airplanes than most people have ridden in. He survived through terminal illnesses decades longer than doctors thought he would. He endured because he loved life with an enthusiasm that lit up every room he was in. He always had a story to tell and a gift to give. He was generous with everyone he met and always inspired me to be the same. I'm going to miss him. -- Alani Indigo Santamarina