Keith Leo Hottinger

Keith Leo Hottinger, age 89, died on October 21, 2023, from Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. He was born to Leo and Rose Hottinger. He had one sister, Lois Sessions. Keith was born near the end of the Great Depression and was a young boy through World War II. He learned a lot through those times, including hard work and humility. He grew up working on a farm during the summers in Centerville and saved all his money to buy his first shotgun at the age of 12. He was a talented shooter and entered and won many shooting tournaments.

Keith attended South High School and was an avid track athlete running the 800m and was part of two state champion teams. He had a group of friends who all became buddies in kindergarten and remained good friends until the day he died. Keith attended the University of Utah, where he majored in Archaeology. He was one of a few people chosen to salvage artifacts on the Colorado River before the Glen Canyon Dam was built. While in college, Keith also enjoyed acting, participated in many of the plays that were produced, and became a Utes fan for life. He held season tickets to basketball and football for nearly 60 years and rarely missed a game. His love for sports, running and fitness never died. He spent countless hours coaching football, baseball, and went to the gym almost every day until his lungs held him back over the past few months.

By trade, Keith was a talented craftsman specializing in custom built furniture and antique restoration. He took over his father’s business (Royal Furniture) where he made many one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture for homes, businesses and government–including some iconic pieces for Gene Simmons of KISS and others. It was always fun to be out and about and see some of his artisan works.

Keith also served in the Air Force National Guard during the Korean War and was a member of the 191st Fighter Squadron.

After retiring, Keith took up acting–an art he was very good at. He made many short films, commercials, YouTube videos and one full-length film called The Prodigal Son. He was always proud of his work and the millions of views some of his YouTube videos garnered. He loved to show people his work and made so many meaningful connections and friends.

Another of Keith’s loves was skiing. He served from 1980 to 1995 on the Volunteer Ski Patrol at Park City Mountain Resort, where he achieved his Senior Patrol Certification and all of his children learned to ski. One of his sons, Ski, joined him on the patrol for 7 years.

Keith loved fishing and the outdoors and spent many, many hours from the time he was young with his father to the time when he could no longer take his children and grandchildren. He even made his wife accompany him to Flaming Gorge where she became familiar with trolling.

Another of Keith’s loves was the ocean. He was content to sit for hours and just enjoy the calmness of the ocean. His family got certified in scuba diving and made several diving trips to Akumal, Mexico, where many fond memories were created.

Keith loved life and people. He tried to meet one new person each day and have some sort of interaction with them. He had a personality bigger than he was. He loved life and lived it to the fullest, hoping to be a good example to those he left behind. Life is not going to be as fun without him!

Keith lived a life of adventure and accomplished many things. But he always said his biggest accomplishment was his family. He is survived by his wife Annette (Jansson), sons Ski (Susan Gonzales) and Tyson (Allison Melis), and daughter Jessica (Dan Seaman). He is also survived by his grandchildren, Luke (Ski) and Katherine (Kate) Hottinger, Sarah, Grace and Caroline Seaman, and Liv, Sadie, Harper, Leo and Emme Hottinger, all of whom he loved dearly.

An evening viewing for Keith will be held Sunday, October 29, 2023 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Wasatch 7th Ward, 1750 South 1500 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84105. A morning viewing will occur Monday, October 30, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM, 1750 South 1500 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84105. A funeral service will occur Monday, October 30, 2023 at 11:00 AM, 1750 South 1500 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84105. Interment will occur Monday, October 30, 2023 at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 Highland Dr, Millcreek, Utah 84106.