William Keesling, Jr.

William “Frank” Keesling, Jr. passed peacefully after an extended illness on March 2, 2019 in Lynchburg, VA.  He was born October 15, 1931 in Limon, CO to William F. Keesling, Sr. and Anna Ruth (Vaught) Keesling both of whom were originally from southwest VA. His family returned to VA in 1935 and started farming in Wheatland and then on Long Lane in Lovettsville.

Frank graduated from Lovettsville High School in 1949.  He was very involved as a youth in 4H and was on the National Championship Swine Judging team in 1947 in Chicago, IL.  In 1952 he was selected as an International Four-H Youth Exchange Student to Scotland. As a result of his long hours working with 4-H, the 1985 Loudoun County 4-H Fair was dedicated to him.

His career started out with shearing sheep.  In the 1960’s it transitioned to carpentry, where he focused on finish carpentry.  He was dedicated to making sure his children graduated from college.  Through it all, he maintained a family farm.

He is survived by a daughter, Teresa, of Harrisonburg, VA; a son, Tim and his wife, Kelly, (Ashley, Stephen) of Matthews, NC; a son, Scott and his wife, Kendall, (Griffin, Molly) of Marietta, GA; and a daughter Carin, and her husband, Wade, (Abby) of Lynchburg, VA.  He is also survived by his sister, Mary Dye of Lovettsville, VA.

He was preceded in death by his sisters, Joy Keesling (1963) and Frances Everhart (2005); and a son, William F. Keesling, III (1990).

Frank loved his Lord, his family and his church.  He adored his dog, Babe, who was by his side until the end.  Woodworking and farming were lifelong passions.  He crafted beautiful furniture and in recent years enjoyed being a part of the Lovettsville Farmer’s Club.

His children will remember most:  his gentle spirit, his loving voice, his hard work ethic, his love of Ronald Reagan, his pranks, his requests for the “5 minutes of help” that turned into 2 hours of help, and his faithful support of the Washington Redskins.

The family will receive visitors from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 10, 2019 at Stauffer Funeral Home, 1100 North Maple Avenue, Brunswick, MD.  Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, March 11th at Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church, 11791 Mountain Road, Lovettsville, VA.  Interment and a graveside service will follow at Hillsboro Cemetery, 15142 Hillsboro Road, Hillsboro, VA.

In lieu of flowers, Frank requested donations be made to ECHO - Every Citizen Has an Opportunity, 71 Lawson Road, Leesburg, VA 20175, or Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church.

Expressions of sympathy may be offered to the family at StaufferFuneralHome.com.