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Keene P. Wolfe Sr.

January 20, 2023
Kalamazoo, MI

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Wolfe Sr. , Keene P. 12/17/1937 - 1/20/2023 Kalamazoo Keene Perry Wolfe, consummate outdoors man, died quietly on Friday, January 20, after only a day at Rose Arbor Hospice. His three children were by his side. Keene was 85. A fiercely independent man, he fought to stay in his home and take care of himself as he had done throughout his life. Over the course of his life there was nothing he enjoyed more than hunting and fishing with his two sons and, later his grandchildren. When mobility issues made it impossible for him to go out in the field himself, he spent many hours driving country roads stalking deer from his car, just for the pure pleasure of sighting them. Indeed, few things gave him as much pleasure as surveying his kingdom with a good cigar, whether that was from the window of his car, on the stoop of his home or from banks of Huzzy Lake where he owned a small lodge. He was a man of many interests that began with the outdoors but also took him inside where he became an expert woodworker, crafting everything from wooden canoes and gun cases for his sons to small pieces of furniture and a dollhouse for his daughter. He was a collector of guns and coins and bad jokes. He loved a good laugh and a good cigar. Most of all he loved his family. Born on December 17, 1937 to Keene and Doris Wolfe, Keene spent his childhood at the family home on Gull Lake where he cast out his first line. As a teenager, he became an outstanding waterskier and competitor. Keene attended Howe Military Academy in Howe, IN before entering the U.S. Army and serving his country in Korea. Upon his return, he matriculated at the University of Louisville. There he met his wife-to-be, Eliza Stout. They were married in Louisville, KY on July 6, 1963 at his in-laws' family home. Returning to Michigan from Kentucky, the couple lived briefly in Battle Creek before moving to Kalamazoo, where he would spend the rest of his life. For the majority of his career, Keene worked as a real estate broker, a job for which he was uncommonly suited. He was socially gregarious, loved meeting new people and thrived on helping others find the homes of their dreams. Keene was an active member of Kalamazoo's First United Methodist Church and was for years a member of the Kalamazoo Lion's Club. He was musically gifted and was a long-time member of the Barbershop Quartet group "The Blue Plate Special" and also a member of SPEBSQSA. Keene is survived by his wife of 59 years; three children, Sarah (David) Maurer, Keene Perry Wolfe Jr. and Andrew Frederick Wolfe; eight grandchildren, Bryce (Allyson) Maurer, Christian, Peter (Keelyn) Maurer, Eliza Maurer, Marjorie, Laurel, Holly and Amalia Wolfe; great-granddaughter, Eleanor Maurer; a sister, Joyce Heimonen; two favorite cousins, Tom and Richard Wolfe and a host of admiring friends and neighbors. Described by his son Perry, as a 'good and kind man,' he will be missed by many, but his legacy will live on through the lives, characters and good works of his children and grandchildren. A memorial service to honor and celebrate Keene's life will be held on Saturday, February 25, 2023, beginning at 2:00 PM, at the First United Methodist Church of Kalamazoo, 212 S. Park St. Kalamazoo, MI 49007, with Rev. Julie Kline officiating. The family will receive friends at the church beginning at 1:00 PM, one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to First United Methodist Church, c/o the funeral home. Friends and family may share a condolence message online at www.joldersma-klein.com.