Keith M Harding

Keith M Harding was born in Soda Springs, Idaho, on February 5, 1954, one of five children of Maurice and Elaine Harding. Growing up in Idaho, Keith was close to his grandparents who lived in Utah and spent lots of time visiting them and enjoyed skiing and ice skating while he was there. Before graduating high school, Keith enlisted in the Army and finished his GED while serving. Keith was stationed in Georgia and North Carolina for a time before serving two tours in Germany. When his son Sheldon was 12, he joined Keith in Kentucky where he was stationed at the time. Keith took Sheldon to his next assignment in Panama for 10 years. Keith loved Panama and his life there revolved around his passion for deep sea fishing and the ocean in general. While stationed in Panama, Keith fell in love with Carmen DeLeon and the two were married and had a son together, Brian. When Keith retired from the Army after 21 years of service, he headed back to the Pacific Northwest to visit his sister in Oregon and never left. He began driving pilot car and would work in that field for the next 20 or so years. Keith moved the family to the Chehalis, Washington, area for several years while he was the terminal manager for a manufacturing home transportation company. The marriage to Carmen ended but the two remained on good terms. Keith moved back to Oregon and continued piloting cars before fully retiring. During the last several years Keith and Brian talked a lot about football and Keith grew to appreciate the game and enjoyed the time spent together bonding with his youngest son over their common interest. During this time spent together, Brian came to realize and appreciate the amount of wisdom Keith had, and the father to son advice that was shared is something he can always treasure. Keith was a people person, friendly and outgoing, and everyone that met him instantly took a liking to him. He had a huge heart and would do whatever he could for anyone at any time and would drop anything to help someone in need. Keith also had a great sense of humor and could turn anything into a joke, always making those around him laugh.Keith was preceded in death by his dad Maurice and his brothers Butch and James “Pete”. He is survived by his mom Elaine Harding; sons Sheldon Harding and Brian Harding; grandchildren Ginger Nicole Harding and Maurice James Harding; great-grandchildren Deklen Harding and twin boys due in February; and sisters Starlene Tanner and Laura May DeLatorre.