Reverend Dr. Albert H. Keck, Jr.

The Rev. Dr. Albert H. Keck, Jr., 102, died peacefully in his sleep at the Lutheran Home in Hickory on July 13. He was the oldest pastor on the roster of the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America at the time of his death.

An Aurora, Illinois native born to the Rev. Dr. Albert H. Keck, Sr and Charlotte Zimmerman Keck on March 23, 1910, Dr. Keck was a gifted pastor, professor, author, friend of many, and loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He graduated from South Bend, Indiana, High School and Wittenberg College, Springfield, Ohio, 1931, where he met his beloved “Ginny” (Virginia Elizabeth Rhodes) who preceded him in death in 2004 just three months before their 70th wedding anniversary. Wittenberg University honored him with the Doctor of Divinity degree in 1959.

A graduate also of the Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1934, he served St. John’s Lutheran Church, Sterling, IL 1934-45, Emmanuel Lutheran, Lincolnton, NC 1945-48, and St. Andrew’s Lutheran, Hickory 1953-75, which named him Pastor Emeritus in 1976. He also taught practical theology, homiletics and liturgics at the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, SC, 1948-53.

After his retirement, Dr. Keck supplied at 75 different congregations including Bethany Lutheran, Boone, where he supplied 171 Sundays during vacancies from 1977 to 1993. He was a member and secretary of the Board of Trustees of Chicago Lutheran Seminary 1940-45; a member of the Board of Trustees of Lenoir-Rhyne College 1955-1982, and secretary of the Board 1967-83. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the Lenoir-Rhyne Alumni association in 1973, the Trustee Award of the Lenoir-Rhyne Board in 1984, and in 2006 he was named Trustee Emeritus by the L-R Board.

A delegate to six conventions of the United Lutheran Church in America and 5 conventions of the Lutheran Church in America (including the constituting convention), he also did preaching missions in 52 congregations in 11 states. He was a member of the Commission on Worship of the United Lutheran Church in America (1952-54); of the Commission on the Ministry of the Lutheran Church in America (1966-70); of the Board of Publication of the Lutheran Church in America (1969-80); and of the Examining Committee of the South Carolina Synod (1968-73).

Dr. Keck was a member of the first Board of the Catawba County Association for Special Education, was one of the organizers of the Cooperative Christian Ministry of Greater Hickory and the Lutheran Home in Hickory, and a member of the Board of the Catawba Medical Foundation (1964-75).

In addition to his wife, parents, two brothers and two sisters, he was also preceded in death by a son, Dr. Timothy A. Keck of Spartanburg, SC, in 1988. He is survived by a daughter, Barbara Keck Pitts of Hickory, and two sons, George A Keck and wife, Margo, of Greensboro, and the Rev. Dr. David R Keck, Sr. and Diana of Mooresville; daughter-in-law, Melody Keck Suber of Moore, SC; eight grandchildren: Laura Jacobus (William) of Stokesdale, the Rev. David R. Keck, Jr. (Nina) of Hickory, Dr. Charlotte Karriker (Kurt) of Matthews, Frances Patterson (Tim) of Kannapolis, Courtney Quillen (Tony) of Duncan, SC, Katie Sims (John) of Tampa, FL, Alyssa Stewart (Les) of Hickory, and Eric Pitts (Jessica) of Hickory; also fourteen great-grandchildren: Jonathan & Hunter Patterson, Rachel & Robert Keck, Rhodes Karriker, Caroline, Camille, Vivian & Ben Quillen, William, Connor, Henry & Ella Kate Stewart, and Timothy Pitts.

A memorial service will be held at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Hickory, at 3:00 P. M. on Sunday, July 15, officiated by the Rev. W. Richard Fritz, Jr., Pastor; the Rev. Dr. William F. Milholland, Sr., Pastor Emeritus; the Rev. David R. Keck, Jr.; and the Rev. Philip Tonnesen, Bishop’s Staff, NC Synod, ELCA. Visitation will follow downstairs in Newton Hall. Private burial will be in the Oakwood Cemetery prior to the service. Memorials may be made to the Keck Scholarship Fund, St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 629 8th. St., NE, Hickory, NC 28601; the Timothy A Keck Scholarship Fund, Lenoir-Rhyne University, P. O. Box 7467, Hickory, NC 28603; or the Lutheran Services for the Aging “Keeping the Promise” Appeal, P. O. Box 947, Salisbury, NC 28145. The family is very grateful for the excellent support provided by his Lutheran Home caregivers the last eight years, and by Hospice the past week.

Hickory Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.