Francis William "Bill" Keck

Francis William “Bill” Keck, 73, of Asbury, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 10, 2016, at Unity Point Health, Finley Hospital.

Friends and family may gather from 2:00-6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 16th, 2016, at Leonard Funeral Home and Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Rd. A prayer service will be held at 6:00 p.m. with Pastor Kristian Kincaid and Pastor Jesse Cearlock officiating. Military honors will also be accorded by American Legion Post #6

Bill was born on May 9, 1943, in Wahiawa, Oahu of the Hawaiian Islands. He is the son of Harold and Lucille (Opliger) Keck. Bill married his high school sweetheart, Sue Ann Turner  on March 17, 1963, in Amarillo, TX. Together they had three sons, David, Darryl, and Donald.

Following high school graduation, Bill enlisted in the United States Navy and served on the USS Monticello. He later settled in Dubuque where he was employed at John Deere and retired after 43 years. During those years, he was an active member of the UAW Local 94 and worked several years on the shop committee. Bill was also a member of the Warren Masonic Lodge #4 in Potosi, Wisconsin. He served as Master Mason twice during his active tenure.   

Those who were close to Bill knew him as a man always willing to help out a friend in need.  He was a generous and charitable man with his time and money. He was never afraid to express his opinion—good or bad, right or wrong, you always knew what Bill was thinking.   

Cars were a passion throughout his lifetime. As a young man, he loved fast cars. For many years, he raced in local drag races such as those at the Cordova speedway. His love of cars also taught him a great deal about auto mechanics. This interest blossomed into a lifelong hobby of restoring vintage cars into custom hotrods. Bill and his wife Sue worked on customizing and restoring cars together as a mutual hobby. Their last two hotrod car restorations took home "Great 8" finishes at the prestigious Autorama Car Show in Detroit, MI.  Hunting was also an enjoyable pastime for Bill. He was an impressive marksmen and he avidly hunted wild turkey, white-tailed deer, and pheasants.

He is survived by three sons, David & Julie (Joyce) Keck of Dubuque, IA, Darryl Keck of Dubuque, IA, and Donald & Missy (Gray) Keck of Dubuque, IA; his brother Harold George Keck, Jr. of Goldsboro, NC; his sister Sandra (Keck) Pilcher of Apex, NC; his father-in-law, Harlyn Turner of Dubuque, IA; and five grandchildren: Brandon, Chandler, Xander, Bryan, and Ashlynn.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Sue Ann (Turner) Keck; his father and mother, Harold G. Keck and Lucille (Opliger) Keck, and a sister Maxine Keck.

The family wishes to thank the hospital staff at Finley Hospital. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church at 2145 JFK Rd, Dubuque, IA 52001

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