Tribute to my Dad – Dr. James M. Keiter – on his birthday October 19th

My daddy, James Marcus Keiter, was born on October 19th, so I’m putting out this tribute to his life. He was kind, very responsible and a devoted husband and father. 

Bleeding Hearts, that grew wild in our back yard.

He was a musician, a clarinetist, throughout high school, college and medical school. He decided not to pursue this career however. He also was a runner on track through college as well as tennis player and skier throughout his adult life.

James Marcus in his youth…running track

He had is medical practice as a physician in the first home in Campbelltown (where he’d do ‘house calls’). Later, he started an Emergency Room unit with several other doctors at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Lebanon.

He had a love for nature, animals and the outdoors, and shared this with his family. 

He and my mother moved to a new home in Palmyra which was built new on a hill, where the two of them planted 50 pine trees and landscaped a lovely yard that was a nature habitat for wildlife. They had a garden and grew herbs as well.

Here’s a link to spring photos in the Keiter yard, where among the pines and other trees, were flower gardens and azalea and rhododendron bushes. They also had a marvelous ebullient wisteria, which had a thick twisted trunk and full aromatic flowers (which the new home owners incredulously chopped down, along with all the bushes that lined the house in the front which were safe places for birds, groundhogs, skunks and chipmunks to pass through and nest).

Our back yard in the home I was raised.

Here’s a link to photos I took one spring of the flowers and trees of our yard.

He painted water colors as he approached retirement, and then prolifically once he retired. Unfortunately these images that I took have a light glare/reflection from my camera, and nativity about how to properly record them. But i did, and here’s the link to his watercolor paintings (and wood carvings). 

James Marcus Keiter watercolor

James Marcus Keiter watercolor Snow Drifts

My mother Lois and he loved to dance and would go out to dances often.

James and Lois Keiter (with Kitty Ulrich, husband Bob not in the pic) – who were each doctors and their best friends.

They also participated in a gourmet club among their friends, as well as getting together to play tennis regularly. 

They learned to snow ski together and introduced this sport to their children, for which I’m very grateful. 

I accompanied them to an outdoor classical music concert.

He was often working in the yard, which was a wonderland growing up. I grew up among pet dogs and cats, for which I’m very fortunate. 

My father had a workshop in the basement where he’d build frames for his paintings and so forth.

He and my mother read a lot together. He devoured books about history. 

They went to art gallery openings and concerts as well as supporting the local high school team sports games. 

Lois and Jim walking with canes in the backyard wildlife habitat they created.

My parents hosted extended family Thanksgiving Dinners every year for 30 + years, where his brothers, and then their children, all gathered for the Turkey and meal which my mother and father prepared. 

Rest in Peace Daddy ~ I appreciate very much the life you gave to me and my sisters and brother and am sure that your father Charles A. Keiter, a Lutheran Minister (who died 4 years before I was born) and mother were proud.