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Celebration Of LifeNov. 18, 20222:30 p.m.Columbia Presbyterian ChurchSend Flowers

Richard Brownson Keller Feb. 17, 1929 - Sept. 13, 2022 Richard Brownson Keller, 93, died Sept. 13, 2022, due to complications from a fall near his home in Vancouver, Wash. Dick was born Feb. 17, 1929, to Ira Charles Keller and Lauretta Taylor Keller in Evanston, Ill. The family lived in Winnetka, Ill., until his parents purchased a working farm just outside Chicago in Mundelein. The family moved to Philadelphia during his high school years and Dick was graduated from Episcopal Academy. Eager to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and uncle, Dick won appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Dick graduated in 1950 with Order of Merit #7 out of 670 cadets. Medically unable to commission, Dick decided to pursue a business degree and was accepted to the Harvard Business School, graduating in 1952 as a Baker Scholar, ranked in the top 5% of his class. After a short stint as a trainee with Simpson Logging Co. in Shelton, Wash., Dick exchanged his boots for a suit, becoming assistant to Gen. Lewis Pick, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Georgia Pacific Corporation in Olympia, Wash. By 1954 Dick became the first employee of Ira's new paper manufacturing company, Western Kraft Corporation. Their initial facility was a paper mill in Albany, Ore., the first in the world to use waste wood chips as raw material. 1954 was a watershed year for another reason: meeting Ruth Elinor Olson. While attending a party with another date, Dick spotted Ruthie, "a friendly girl with a wonderful smile," who was dating the party host. Fortunately, Dick and his host mutually decided they each liked the other's date better, so after a few years of courtship Dick popped the question and he and Ruthie were married March 30, 1957, at First Presbyterian Church in Portland, Ore. Upon moving to Portland Dick continued his involvement with the military. He was originally commissioned a 1st Lt. in the U.S. Army Reserves in 1952; in 1955 he was commissioned as a Captain assigned to the 104th Infantry "Timberwolves" Division, then stationed at the Fort Vancouver barracks. He was honorably discharged in 1962 as a Captain, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army Reserves. Once the Albany mill came online Dick became the first plant manager of the Beaverton, Ore., corrugated box plant and then rose to the role of general manager in 1957. Over the ensuing decade he would become a divisional vice president in charge of production and sales for all corrugated box, Kraft grocery bag and business forms plants, as well as paper mill sales. In 1967 Western Kraft was merged with Willamette Valley Lumber Company to form Willamette Industries, combining the interests of the Keller, Swindells, Clark and Wheeler families into a single public company. In 1970 Dick became senior vice president, and in 1975 was elected a director of Willamette upon his retirement from the company. The company became national in scope with over 100 manufacturing facilities. Ranked #368 in the Fortune 500, Willamette was bought out in 2002 by Weyerhaeuser in a hostile takeover, the majority of the value derived from the paper division Dick and Ira started. In 1975 Dick was asked by Ira to run Keller Enterprises Inc. (KEI), the wholly-owned family holding company that included Western Paper Co., a paper distributorship. Western Paper was sold to International Paper in 1992 and coincided with moving the family company headquarters from Portland to Vancouver. Over the last 12 years Dick launched a new career of providing private equity for apartment community developments throughout the western U.S. arranged by Holland Partner Group. He was grateful for the friendship of founder Clyde Holland, and appreciative of the Holland staff for all their efforts in making those investments successful. Dick served on the boards of three public companies: Willamette Industries, Crown Pacific and Northwest Natural Gas. Community involvement included board service for Oregon Graduate Institute, Lewis & Clark College, Multnomah County Library, Central City Concern, Citizens Crime Commission and Portland Chamber of Commerce. In 2000 Portland's Civic Auditorium was renamed Keller Auditorium following a donation Dick made on behalf of the family in honor of Ira, whose namesake Ira's Fountain flows just across the street. The fountain was named after Ira for his efforts as the founding Chairman of the Portland Development Commission as well as his inspiration to create the much-loved park. Dick and Ruthie also established The Keller Foundation to benefit the communities in which they and their descendants live. The foundation is endowed to continue for many generations to come. Memberships included the Multnomah Athletic Club, Waverley Country Club, Arlington Club and West Point Society of Oregon. Dick went out with his boots on, running the family business until his fall. He was an officer and a gentleman, old school they call it today. He was determined, committed and focused. He liked to do things his own way. A lifelong athlete, Dick's recent routine included a daily three-mile walk along the Columbia River and 45 minutes on his elliptical machine. His favorite TV show was Louis Rukeyser's Wall Street Week, and favorite reading material would include Barron's or a good book on business or military history. One cannot, of course, discuss Dick without bringing up Ruthie. Ruthie and Dick were a team. They were inseparable. No child of theirs could ever successfully play one off against the other. Ruthie helped smooth some of Dick's sharp edges, and provided fun, excitement, love and light during their 65 years of marriage. Dick was preceded in death by his parents; and grandson, Kincade Wilson Keller. He is survived by his wife; son, Richard B. Keller Jr. of Vancouver, Wash. (Patty); daughter, Elizabeth Keller McCaslin of Portland, Ore. (Michael); and son, Charles Acheson Keller of Paradise Valley, Ariz. (engaged to Ellen Andeen). Grandchildren include Charles Taylor McCaslin of Fort Worth, Texas (Allison and daughter Elliot), Kathryn Keller McCaslin of Austin, Texas, Frances Buck McCaslin of Miami, Fla., 2nd Lt. Patrick Richard Brownson Keller, (Platoon Leader, 1-82 Cavalry, NATO EFP Battlegroup), John Swanman Keller of Boston, Mass., Wilson Charles Keller of Tempe, Ariz. (Arizona State University) and Charles Acheson Keller II of Charleston, S.C. (The Citadel). The family would like to express its heartfelt thanks to Carol Frohoff, Dick's incomparable corporate secretary and confidant for 30 years; Kevin Kuch, managing director and Dick's auditor and later CFO for the last 23 years; PacTrust CEO Peter Bechen, serving alongside Dick for 38 years as a family company and foundation board member; Dr. Steven Beeson, Dick's primary care physician for the last 35 years and Dr. Eric Stecker, Dick's cardiologist for the last 15 years. Dick has requested that in lieu of flowers, remembrances be contributions to the West Point Society of Oregon (c/o Kevin Byrne, Treasurer, 7658 S.W. Skyhar Dr., Portland, OR 97223), or to the charity of your choice. A celebration of Dick's life will be held at 2:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, at Columbia Presbyterian Church in Vancouver, Wash., with a reception to follow. Please sign the online guest book at www.oregonlive.com/obits

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