Obituary of Shirley W. Keller

Shirley Wilson Keller Passed away on May 20, 2019 at age 95. A native of Binghamton, NY. Her parents Woody and Kay Wilson had four children; Shirley's older siblings Alec and JoAn who predeceased her, Shirley and her younger brother David, who survives her. A proud graduate of Alexander Hamilton, West Junior and Binghamton Central High School, she attended Connecticut College and graduated after taking a year off to work at Sisson's Department store when her dad re-entered the service in WW 2. In college, imagine Shirley spotting planes in Groton Connecticut, protecting the Coast Guard from enemy attack! She spent a summer working at WINR alongside a budding writer name Rod Serling. Shirley met young lawyer Chandler Keller in 1947 when he came to Binghamton to start a law practice as she was working at the radio station. They fell in love and married in 1948. Shirley raised her three children while volunteering, setting her course for the rest of her life as a committed community agent for change. Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood occupied much of her time, as did the Junior League (Watrous Bowl recipient) and United Way. She was on the board and was a docent at both The Roberson Museum and Science Center and the Triple Cities Opera, exposing her children to her favorite things. Active at First Presbyterian Church for 92 years, she participated in every capacity and served meals at the Tuesday Community Supper program until 4 years ago. Supporting WSKG and the SUNY Foundation kept her involved in her community even after Chan died in 1993. She was pleased to help select the recipient of a scholarship in his name each year. In 2011 she was honored as an outstanding BCHS alumna for her tireless volunteer efforts. Shirley was an athlete to the core. Known as the Quaker Lake Canoe Queen, she also was an avid tennis and golf player as well as a bowler, with the awards to prove it. At her beloved Good Shepherd Village, she played bocce, Pickleball and Wii bowling with her many friends while maintaining a jigsaw puzzle in the hallway to entice neighbors to stop in. Splitting her time between Quaker Lake in summer and the Village, she nurtured her many friendships in both places, gave advice to her extended family, and enjoyed every day to the fullest. Shirley was blessed to have found love again after Chan died, with family friend Scott Law, who died in 2013. She declared that moving to Good Shepherd Village was one of her best decisions. She died there after a brief illness at age 95. Shirley leaves her children Polly (Jerry) Vanasse of Concord MA, Peter (Lindsay) Keller of Bedford NY, and Jay (Anna) Keller of Takoma Park, MD. Her grandchildren Matt and Drew Vanasse, Hadley, Chandler, Xiaoling and Janiah Keller, and Daniel and Mac Keller all remember with great fondness their special times with Nana, from QLCA camp to family reunions and Christmas celebrations in Binghamton. She adored each of them. In addition, the entire extended Wilson clan has played a huge part in her life. She leaves her brother David and his wife Chips, and her sister-in-law Patty Wilson. Ann (Wilson) Scala, Tom Scala and Tina (Wilson) Romero have headed her loving Binghamton family support team. A Celebration of Shirley's wonderful life will be held at United Presbyterian Church in Binghamton on Monday, May 27, with visiting hours at 10 AM and a service at 11 AM. Instead of flowers, should you wish to make a gift to either The Discovery Center, Family Planning of South Central NY, Food Bank of the Southern Tier or Girl Scouts of NYPenn, you would help further the work she so believed in.The family wishes to thank the dedicated staff at Wilson Hospital North Tower 3 and the loving caregivers at Good Shepherd Village who showed her so much compassion