Scott John Keele passed away peacefully under Hospice care at his country home on Dec. 12, 2024. It was the culmination of a courageous 5-plus year battle with pancreatic cancer. Along the way, Scott was constantly supported and guided by his wife and life partner, Susan. Their resilience and positive attitude in the face of such a devastating diagnosis often left their family and medical care team inspired.

Scott was born in 1948 in Oakland to Lillian and Mervyn Keele. With sister Kathi, the family moved to Eureka two years later. And so began a love affair with Eureka and Humboldt County that lasted his entire life. Scott never missed an opportunity to praise the beauty and quality of life of the North Coast.

He loved the outdoor life here. In his youth, he and his friends explored the gullies around Highland Park and the shoreline of Humboldt Bay, and later the bay itself in a small wooden boat. Sometimes there were unexpected adventures, such a hopping on a train and winding up in Scotia.

At Jacobs Junior High Scott met the love of his life, Susan Matson. Their relationship grew and by high school they were inseparable. After Scott’s college years in Washington and Oregon, the two were married in Eureka in 1970. They settled in Eureka and, with a degree in Special Education, Scott began teaching at the Glen Paul Center for Exceptional Children. Scott’s passion was helping people with mental disabilities live as normal a life as possible over their entire lifespan. He knew that many of these individuals were capable of far more than people thought.

Over his 35-year career, he created many community job opportunities, developed independent living arrangements for adults and guided them in making this transition. He developed a software educational program that teaches independent living skills, a program that became adopted by other programs around the state. After retiring in 2007, he continued to consult with these agencies for several years. Scott also started and coordinated the local Special Olympics for many years.

Scott and Susan were married for 54 years, celebrating their 50-year anniversary on a delayed trip to the Canadian Rockies in 2023. They had two wonderful children, Nicole and Justin. They moved to their dream home in 1990 where Scott loved doing projects around the 13-acre property and in his shop. Two of his favorite shop projects were restoring a 1948 Morris Minor and a vintage wooden boat. Together Scott and Susan always maintained a beautiful garden.

Scott had a good life, marred only by the tragic loss of Justin to an accident in 2004, he and Susan’s darkest day. It did, however, make the family closer than ever. Scott loved to host gatherings at their home. For many years they had an annual celebration of Justin’s life for his many friends and family.

Scott loved getting out on the bay in kayaks, going to the beach, hiking and camping in their small trailer, skiing at Horse Mountain and spending time at the family cabin at Lake Tahoe. These adventures often included lifelong friends, Jim and Becky Lang and Larry and Susie Matson. Their last trips together were a Rhine River cruise last May and camping in Oregon in October. Over the years, Scott also loved going on motorcycle rides around Humboldt County with long-time friend, Jerry Roberts. But tops on Scott’s list of what he loved most was spending time with Nicole, her husband, Mike, and children Ella and Miles whether at their home in Oregon, or in Eureka or on trips together to Hawaii, Disneyland and Amsterdam. Scott loved being part of his grandchildren’s lives. Their love and admiration for their “Poppy” was boundless and Scott cherished every moment he spent with them.

Scott is survived by his beloved wife Susan, daughter Nicole DeBlasi (Mike), grandchildren Miles and Ella DeBlasi, sisters Kathi Ayala and Kristi Manutai (Arona), sister-in-law Sharon Smullin (David), brother-in-law Larry Matson (Susie), his extended Lucas family and numerous nieces and nephews.

Scott’s family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Cataldo, Dr. Ricci and the entire Oncology Medical Team at Providence/ St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka and to the Hospice of Humboldt team for the wonderful care he received from them.

Scott will be remembered as a man who was tremendously devoted to his family and who lived life to the fullest, always with a can-do spirit. He loved life and left no stone unturned.

He will be missed by every life he touched. A celebration of his life will be held in Eureka in the spring.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Scott Keele’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.