Keith Robert Carr

Keith Robert Carr was born May 5, 1931, to Victor David Carr and Dorothy Mae (Edwards) Carr. As a boy, his brother Kenneth told him he saw Keith’s future wife in a dream, that she was a little blonde girl feeding chickens in Germany. Keith attended high school in Albany Oregon, and served in the Navy during the Korean conflict at Moffett Field California.

Later, as a young man attending BYU in Utah, Keith met a beautiful young German immigrant named Marlies Fickel, who soon became his wife on June 8, 1957. The couple was joined by three children, Dale Robert, Raymond Dean, and Eva Marie.

Keith spent his career teaching high school Biology, first in Medford and Brookings, OR followed by many years at Bend Senior High. He loved to joke and took great joy in the kids he inspired. His own children would often come to his classroom after hours while he worked on lesson plans and grading papers, to look at the animal specimens in jars of formaldehyde, take apart and put together the life size human internal organs ‘puzzle’ and walk through the greenhouse. He was always the teacher, sharing plant names and random ecosystem facts on hikes, camping trips, and visits to the coast with his family.

He loved backpacking, tennis, handball, and racquetball. He ran hurdles and pole vaulted in college, and won many medals running hurdles in Senior Olympics regional competitions. He shared a passion for dancing with Marlies, particularly the jitterbug, and the two of them were known to clear the dancefloor as others stepped back to watch. They also took up square dancing and spent many years involved in two clubs in Bend.

After retirement, Keith and Marlies moved to Elkton, Oregon, where they could grow fruits and vegetables without fighting the Central Oregon climate, and stayed for more than 25 years. Keith became involved with the building of a replica of Fort Umpqua on the bank of the river of the same name. He hand peeled many of the logs himself, and loved teaching tourists about the history of fur trapping and settlement in the region.

Keith was preceded in death by his three brothers Norman, Kenneth, and Bruce.

He is survived by his wife Marlies Carr, children Dale Carr (Sandy), Raymond Carr (Nina), Eva Gill (John), grandchildren Derek (Trang), Jared, Caleb, Cary, James, and Andrew (AnnaLisa) Carr, and Hannah and Marlie Gill, and great grandchildren Morgan, Dylan, and Phillip Carr.

A memorial gathering will be held in Bend on Saturday morning 11/12/22, 10:00 AM at The Haven.

A graveside service will be held at Elkton Cemetery, Monday 11/14/22 at 1:00 PM

Both will be available via Zoom using the same link: Keith Carr Memorial Services https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87123582587?pwd=SlBZS2Q4TjhFSVpzaktCZngxamNRZz09 Meeting ID: 871 2358 2587 Passcode: 918797

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Elkton Community Education Center, home to Fort Umpqua – ECEC- https://elktonbutterflies.com/donate/

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.keithandkeith.com for the Carr family.