Obituary of Virgil Keefer

Virgil "Ray" Keefer passed away on May 13, 2012. He was born in Concord, CA on June 10, 1931. Ray was raised in Oregon and graduated from Ontario High School, in Ontario, Oregon in 1949. Ray joined the Air Force and was a cargo specialist during the Korean Conflict. Upon his discharge, he moved to Chester, where he met the love of his life and best friend, Maxine Hughes. They were married on November 28, 1953 and moved to Chico, where Ray attended Chico State University, graduating in 1957 with a B.A. in Business Administration. They returned to Chester, where he was a Real Estate Broker for over 40 years and was a Plumas County Justice Court Judge for Greenville and Chester for 9 years. Ray served as President of the Judges, Marshals and Constables Association. He was a member of the Chester Lions Club and served as Secretary and President. Ray was also a member of the Plumas County Board of Realtors, serving as President and Regional Chairman of District 2. He received Realtor of the Year in 1991. Ray was honored as Lifetime Member of PTA for his work with and for young people. After retirement, they relocated to Durham and Chico. Ray is survived by wife of 58 years, Maxine; his daughter, Teri (Dave) Schell of Durham; sons, Steve of Tustin, CA and Dale (Bonnie) of Susanville, CA; 8 grandchildren, Laural (Ryan) Davis, Brandon, Brett and Bradley Keefer, Brieanna (Bryan) Rhoads, Kaena Keefer, Morgan and Madison Schell; and 1 great-grandson, Ashton Rhoads. A sister, Helen (Dean) Fraizer of Oregon and a brother, Earl (Ann) of Redding. Many nieces and nephews and cousins; and many, many friends. The family would like to thank the staffs of Enloe Hospital and Twin Oaks Care Facility for the wonderful care he was given. A Celebration of Ray's Life will be held on Saturday, June 23, 2012 at the Chester Elks Lodge. "Love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries, it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death." In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in his memory to the Alzheimer's Association, in care of Brusie Funeral Home, who is in charge of arrangements.