“Keith was a wonderful man and had many friends, the ones he grew up with mostly i.e. Troy Pfiffner, Mazzie, and his Davenport buddies, but everyone liked him. He was outgoing and thoughtful. He worked so very hard in college; it did not come easy for him but he graduated with honors. It meant a lot to him. He lived at home after graduating college, then moved to Davenport when he was hired at the Arsenal.
He was somewhat of a perfectionist with his work, his clothes and what people thought of him. He bought his house in Davenport and worked so hard at taking off wallpaper and painting every inch of that house. We were always welcome there no matter what and he never missed a holiday with his family when he got out of the Marines. He was so thoughtful to his family, his co-workers and to his extended family. He adored his godchildren Colin and Leah and loved playing with them. He always told his brother and sister what his dad and I needed for Christmas without asking us, that was how observant he was.
He was generous at Christmas with buying all the nieces and nephews Christmas presents and always adding extra to his dad and me. He was a fussy eater since he was a child and got his fill of pizza throughout the years but liked his mother’s cooking as well, not all of it but ate what he liked. He would come home on Friday nights and the 3 of us would talk and have a few drinks, then eat. His real joy was his Fatboy Harley motorcycle that he bought. That was an ongoing dream for him to have one. He loved the NY Yankees and Tennessee Titans. He would call almost every week and talk to me or his father, that is the one thing that was hard for me after he was gone.” Shared by his mother, Sharon
Keith was born April 18th, 1976 in Dubuque, beloved son of Norb and Sharon (Merritt) Bakewell.
Immediately after graduating from Dubuque Hempstead High School, Keith wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and serve his country. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corp where he served from 1994-1998. Keith’s first duty station was Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where he served as a squad leader scout/sniper instructor and was meritoriously promoted to Corporal. He then went “on float” for 6 months and was able to see the world. He was honorably discharged as a Sergeant in 1998.
After the service Keith attended the University of Northern Iowa where he graduated in 2001 Cum Laude with a B.A. in Business.
Keith was employed for the last six years at the Rock Island Arsenal where he was recently promoted to Contracting Officer. In this role Keith negotiated contracts between the US Military and logistical contracting companies. This challenging position took him all over the world including Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Middle East.
Keith’s greatest joy of his life was his Harley Davidson. As a kid he was always seen riding toy motorcycles, and his dream was realized when he was able to buy his first Fatboy. Keith loved to go on rides with his buddies. He also loved to hunt, watch the Tennessee Titans, the New York Yankees, and do anything that looked adventurous. He was the “fun” uncle to his four nieces and two nephews-always joking and making them laugh.
Keith excelled in everything he did and was known for his work ethic, attention to detail and free spirit. He was a beloved brother, son and friend who was respected and loved by all.
Keith had a generous heart and was always there for you whenever you needed him. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.
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