A 1959 North High graduate, Keith was a three-sport athlete –football, wrestling and swimming. He played football all four years, but the wrestling program did not begin until his sophomore year and swimming began during his junior year. He lettered seven times in the three sports.
In football, Keith was a lineman who played all of the line positions except center during his four years at North and was selected as SYL first team guard his senior year. He received the Sam Lynn Trophy, and was a member of the Kern County Fire Department’s Senior Bowl along with classmates Vern Burke, Larry Martin, Gene Smart and Dave Stout.
Keith was the SYL champion in the 165-pound category in wrestling, and in swimming was a freestyler in the 100 yard and 200 yard events.
The dedicated teams of coaches are deserving of respect and recognition: Football — Max Evans and Bob Russell for “C” class; Dick Westbay and Ken Keifer for “B” class; and Turk Eliades, Aubrey Allen and Sam Barton for varsity. Wrestling coaches were Dick Westbay and Boot Bootman, and swimming coaches were Bill Finch and Dick Brown.
Upon graduation Keith attended Bakersfield College then Fresno State where he majored in marketing. He began his career with Standard Oil Company, but returned to Bakersfield to begin a teaching career. Also during that time he was a member of the Coast Guard Reserve.
Keith began teaching at Horace Mann School where he had as students the kids of NHS graduates/Hall of Famers Ken Barnes and Bob Ezell. He took the opportunity to transfer to the Standard School District where he taught physiology, first aid and science, retiring after 33 years. During that time he enjoyed having as students a number of children of NHS classmates.
Along with Rick Falk, Bill Williamson and Dan Eliades, Keith assisted in coaching Jack Frost football teams from North of the River in the mid-1970’s.
Besides teaching in the Standard School District, Keith was a student there himself, as was his mother and his two daughters. His wife of 47 years, Lynn, is a North High graduate (1963) and also his two daughters, Carrie (1990) and Molly (1994). Keith and Lynn have two granddaughters ages 10 and 7, both of whom love sports.