Keith Warren Garber

For over a half-century, Keith and his wife Janice lived a life of devotion to each other and their family. Over the decades – through their hopeful beginning as high school sweethearts in Carnegie, the cross-country moves and new starts in five states, the shared joy of raising three children (then proudly supporting them through five Duke University degrees!), their carefree retirement trips to the NC beaches, several amazing jazz concerts, and their quiet moments at home together – Keith and Janice shared as many blessings as a life could offer and leave a legacy of love that will shape generations of their family.

Keith grew up in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, raised by his beloved mother Georgia and grandparents Earl and Susan Bell, alongside his younger sister Randy and younger brother Todd. As a youngster, Keith revered his grandfather and grandmother, and he first learned lifelong lessons in hard work by spending time alongside them and his mother. Keith’s best childhood adventures were with his neighborhood friends, playing ball in the street until dark, and he naturally embraced the role of protector and guide to his two younger siblings. As a teenager, Keith excelled in school (most of the time) and was a leading trumpet player in the Carnegie High School Tartan marching band – kilt included – where he paired his lifelong love of music, especially jazz, with a lifelong knack for working to be great at just about everything he did. It was during one of those band practices that Keith first asked Janice to go with him to a school dance.

No one can recall exactly when they first met, but Keith and Janice were together for as long as anyone can remember. Beginning in high school – and, family lore has it, thanks to a timely intervention of her little brother – Keith and Janice began their lifelong romance on dates walking along Mt. Washington, attending concerts, playing miniature golf in Carnegie, at summer drive-in theaters, and of course, trips to Bishop’s for ice cream.

After graduating from Carnegie High School in 1968, Keith moved to Atlanta to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and complete its rigorous academic training for a career in engineering. Keith graduated with a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering with honors in 1973.

Keith and Janice were married at First Presbyterian Church in Carnegie – their church home since they were children – on August 18, 1973. They began their married life together in Morristown, TN. Fifty years later, in 2023, they celebrated their golden anniversary together at Hilton Head, SC.

In all those years, Keith and Janice were each other’s best friend and champion, supporting each other through the joys and challenges of raising a family and building a home – both on the memorable days preserved in a lifetime’s worth of photo albums, and in the sometimes-forgotten daily moments of care and hugs that make up a life together. Janice first fell in love with Keith’s beautiful blue eyes, and she stayed in love with him for over fifty years for his steadiness, generosity, and devotion.

Keith also provided for his family, building a successful career in a variety of industries including textiles, furniture manufacturing and computer technology, holding key positions at companies such as Rockwell International, Draper Corporation, Mills’ Pride and 20/20 Technologies. Keith’s work was his passion; he enjoyed its challenges, and he was excellent at it. Sharply intelligent, deeply analytical, and endlessly hard-working, Keith was a valued business leader and colleague who adapted to industry changes to lead business growth and innovation. Never one for sitting still, Keith’s career took him to Germany and Ireland in his earlier years, then to China in later ones. And when many of his peers were winding down their careers, Keith launched his own consulting business and remained sought after for his exacting competence and professionalism.

To his family and colleagues alike, Keith is remembered for his rare pairing of remarkable intelligence and unassuming humility. He knew something useful about almost everything, and he was (almost always) patient with the rest of us who tried so hard to keep up with him.

Keith’s love for his three children was deeper than words can express. Above all, he devoted himself to providing a stable, happy childhood for his children, and in that, he succeeded beyond measure. His wife and children were the center of his life, and he was the foundation of theirs. All of the love that Grant, Haven and Chelsea have learned to share with their own families, all of the success they may achieve in their own lives, all of whatever good they put into the world – all of it is because of Keith and Janice, and their own love and sacrifices for their children.

Keith’s legacy is the example of decency and devotion that he set for his entire family and all who knew him. In the years ahead, we will cherish our many memories of Keith and the grace of seeing his spirit and features live on so vividly in his children and grandchildren.

Keith is survived by Janice, his wife of 51 years; his sister Randy (Michael) McDonald and brother Todd (Cindy) Garber; his children Grant (Megan) Garber, Haven Garber, and Chelsea Garber; his grandchildren Oliver, Scout, Kai, Rhett, Silas, and James; nieces and nephews in Pittsburgh, Atlanta and elsewhere; and many other loved ones.

Keith was preceded in death by his beloved mother Georgia Ellen Lewis, father Chester Warren Garber, beloved grandparents Earl and Susan Bell and George Warren and Bessie Garber, and cherished cousin Lance Schade.

The family will host a celebration of Keith’s life on Saturday May 31, 2025, at 11:00am, at Mt. Lebanon Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A private burial will occur at Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Keith’s honor to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

The family is grateful for the compassionate and expert care provided by the staff of UNC Rex Heart & Vascular Hospital (some Tarheels are ok, it turns out) and Wake County EMS.