Ronald Bert Keele

Ronald “Ron” Bert Keele, age 55, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, at his home on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, following a courageous three-year battle with cancer.

Ron was born August 16, 1969, in Grand Junction, Colorado, to Fay Ann Greene and Ron Bert Keele.

Ron was a gifted carpenter. Ron enjoyed driving around Grand Junction and pointing out the houses he built to friends and family…and there were many. In addition to carpentry, Ron was also an over-the-road truck driver for many years.

Ron never met a stranger. He had a charismatic personality and was never too shy to walk up to someone and strike up a conversation. He was outgoing and the life of the party – joking, laughing, and genuinely enjoying his time with friends and family. Ron was always up to trying something new and usually mastered it almost immediately - except for technology, he hated technology.

Ron was the true definition of a family man. He ALWAYS put his family first. He was a strong spiritual leader and continued to encourage those around him to seek a relationship with God. He worked tirelessly to provide for his family regardless of the circumstances. He built houses in 100+ degree temperatures, in the rain, and in the snow. He drove trucks on the worst roads. But at the end of the day, all that mattered was that he was able to provide for his family and be a role model for his kids and grandkids.

On November 8, 2017, Ron had his first date with Melissa. Anyone who ever met Ron knows he had the most amazing smile. His smile was one of those that just draws you in. When Ron walked into the lobby of the movie theater and flashed that smile, Melissa says she felt like she was struck by a lightning bolt. Although neither of them was ready for anything serious, their relationship quickly grew into what each of them said was by far the happiest chapter of their lives.

Ron and Melissa became remarkably close over the next two months and decided to rent an apartment in Palisade together. Melissa began developing relationships with Ron’s kids and Ron was getting to know Melissa’s kids Stephanie and Jet, as well as Stephanie’s husband Peyton. While Ron and Melissa only lived in this apartment for a little over a year, it became ground zero for some of the best shenanigans, craziest hijinks, and happiest memories that Melissa and the kids have drawn upon for comfort throughout Ron’s illness and following his passing.

In 2019, Ron and Melissa purchased a home on the east side of Grand Junction. It definitely needed some love, but it immediately felt like home and was the perfect launching pad for this new crazy family. From hot days in the sun digging holes and screwing in pickets on the privacy fence - to painting the house inside and out - to creating the most amazing yard - to Ronny and Jaden’s’ favorite task of moving the wood pile - every member of the family put their mark on the property under Ron’s expert instruction (and a lot of grumbling). It was the place that the entire family came to hang out, to celebrate, and to be surrounded by love. On July 11, 2020, with the blessing of their kids, Ron and Melissa were married in their front yard in front of friends and family…and a death-metal band.

On January 1, 2021, Ronny married his wife Andy in Hawaii and became dad to Andy’s son Riley. Ronny, Andy, and Riley traveled to Colorado in June 2021 for a family camping trip to Blue Mesa Reservoir. Ron was very excited to meet Riley for the first time and got the biggest smile when Riley called him grandpa – Riley was his first grandchild. It took him about 30 seconds to embrace the grandpa role, and he spent the entire visit teaching Riley about fishing, boating, playing darts, cornhole, and gardening.

Following Ron’s diagnosis in 2022, Ron was forced into early retirement. For a man who worked his entire life it was not an easy transition. But that did not stop him from working tirelessly, through sickness and pain, making sure that his home was still an oasis for Melissa and a gathering spot for the kids and extended family. Even during his chemotherapy/radiation treatments and ongoing stent-replacements, Ron made sure that the grass looked like a golf-course, the flowers were bright and cheerful, and the garden was bountiful.

2023 and 2024 were two of the most transformational years for Ron. In February 2023, Ron became a great uncle to his precious angel Dallas. From the first moment he held her, he became her biggest fan. Being retired meant he had plenty of time to spend with her. He held her on his lap and explained NASCAR (even if he had her cheering for the wrong driver), carried her around the yard on his shoulders teaching her about the garden, trees, flowers, and chickens, held her little hand as she took her first steps, and showered her with all the love in his heart.

In July 2023, Ron had more reason to celebrate when he got the new title of Papa. Alexander was born in Hawaii and Ron’s face would just glow when he got to talk to Alexander over Facetime. Ron and Melissa traveled to Hawaii in October 2023 to meet Alexander for the first time when he was three months old. Even though Ron was really sick, he still beamed with excitement when he was able to hold Alexander in his arms for the first time. His smile went from ear to ear, and you could feel the overwhelming pride that he had in his heart at that moment. Ron, Melissa, and Keira traveled back to Hawaii to celebrate Alexander’s first birthday, and it did not take long before Ron had Alexander up on his shoulders explaining the ways of the world.

In January 2024, Ronny discharged from the Army and moved his family back to Grand Junction. Ron and Melissa helped Ronny and Andy find a home to buy in Grand Junction while they were still living in Hawaii and needless to say, the search area did not expand too far from Ron and Melissa’s house. Ron was able to start keeping both Alexander and Dallas together a couple of days per week. Even as tired as the cancer made him, Ron was always up and ready to go. He would pull the two of them around the yard in a garden wagon for hours. Ron and Melissa built a full playground in their backyard and Ron helped the kids learn how to climb the ladder and slide down the slide and spent hours “pushing them to the moon” on the swings. By mid-summer, Ron was able to convince Melissa that he needed a riding lawn mower with a trailer “for the lawn,” but everyone could see that the real purpose was to entertain two of his favorite people in this world. It was not easy to tell whether the kids or Ron enjoyed their time together more, but it was clear Ron was having the time of his life and truly enjoyed the Papa role!

Following Ron’s passing, Melissa downloaded the photos and videos from his phone. There were hundreds of pictures and videos of Dallas and Alexander that she had never seen. He captured so many precious moments of their time together that will have great meaning for Dallas and Alexander later in life.

Ron’s biggest gift to those around him was his ability to have fun. He loved the outdoors. He was a hunter, a fisherman, and he loved to camp. He enjoyed fishing with his grandson Riley. He bought both Dallas and Alexander real fishing poles for their first birthdays and he was teaching them how to fish (as best you can teach a two- or three-year-old). He loved having a beer or two on the patio, going to concerts, NASCAR, barbeques, yard games, gardening, UFC fights, etc. and made lasting memories with Melissa and all of the kids by including them in his passions. Ron still had the heart of a child. He looked at the world with the awe of an eight-year-old boy and did not let anything get him down – even cancer. He still stopped what he was doing to watch military jets fly over the house, got excited about catching a fish – big or small, decorated every inch of the house for Halloween and Christmas, and always paused to enjoy the beauty of a sunset or a rainbow with his arms around Melissa. Even in the toughest situations, he was always the first to laugh. He had an amazing soul!

Ron was preceded in death by his mother, Fay Ann Greene.

Ron is survived by his dad and step-mother Ron and Elke Keele, his wife Melissa Keele, his children Ronny Keele (Andy), Jaden Keele, Keira Keele, Caryn Brazda (Domonik), Stephanie Fyke (Peyton), and Jet Bashara (Mary), his brothers Russell Keele, Roger Keele, Mike Keele (Mandi), his sister Kristy LeRose (AJ), his grandsons Riley Kim and Alexander Keele, his great-niece Dallas Black, and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.

Melissa and the kids would like to thank Teresa and Kirk Black, Debbie and Dana Meshishnek, Kristy LeRose, Dawn Gibson, Russell Keele, Dennis Beaty, Dennis and Suzanne Overholt, Dave and CJ Wratchford, Burke and Merritt Martin, Jerry McMillan, Melissa and Alex Treto, Linda Patrick, Ron and Vicki Wheeler, and every person who reached out to provide comfort, love, and support to Ron and the family over the last three years.

The family also wants to thank the amazing doctors and care teams that fought so hard right alongside Ron:

• Grand Valley Oncology (Dr. JoAnne Virgilio, Dr. J. Ryan Bagley, Andrea Liggett, FNP, and the entire medical oncology staff including Summer, Anastasia, Peggy, and Nikki)
• UCHealth Gastroenterology (Dr. Raj Shah, Dr. Anna Duloy, and the entire UCHealth gastroenterology team)
• HopeWest (Ann, Scott, Brian, and the entire HopeWest team)

The family will plant a memorial tree at Riverbend Park in Palisade.

A celebration of Ron’s life will be held on Ron’s birthday, starting at 6:00 pm on Saturday, August 16, 2025, at Ron and Melissa’s home.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial contribution in Ron’s name to one of the organizations that Ron supported:

• Samaritan’s Purse - samaritanspurse.org
• Tunnels to Towers Foundation - dogood.t2t.org
• HopeWest - hopewestco.org/donate
• Community Hospital Foundation - yourcommunityhospital.com/donate
• UCHealth - uchealth.org/give-to-uchealth