Duane H. Keifer

Duane H. Keifer of San Angelo went to be with his Lord & Savior June 26, 2022. Duane was born April 25, 1926 to John & Nina Keifer in Floyd, Iowa. He attended school in Charles City, Iowa and Minneapolis, Minn. where his parents had moved to work in a defense plant at the height of WW2. He enlisted in the Air Force before they could draft him and was sent to Texas for training. He met and married the love of his life, Novaline Pruitt, in 1947 while he was stationed at Carswell AFB in Ft. Worth, Texas. They had three sons, Kyle, Darrell, & Carson. He was a 20 year veteran of the United States Air Force. He flew on B-29s & B-36s – logging thousands of hours. In the early 50s Duane participated in Operation Ivy (First H-bomb Test) at Eniwetok Atoll. He survived a crash in 1955 when their B-36 landed short, burned and exploded on a Carswell AFB runway. When the B-36 was phased out he crossed trained into Air Traffic Control at Keesler AFB in Mississippi. He was stationed in Ft. Worth a short time and then sent to Yokota AFB, Japan for 3 years then to Whiteman AFB 2 years working with Radar Approach Control. He transferred to Carswell AFB and worked in the control tower. In 1963 he cleared Air Force 1 to land at Carswell AFB the day before President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. In 1964 Duane retired from the Air Force and worked with the Postal Service three years in Tyler, Texas. Missing his involvement with aviation he hired on as an Air Traffic Controller with Federal Aviation Agency in Alaska – working 2 years in Anchorage and 2 years in Fairbanks. The rest of his 2nd career was served in the control tower at San Angelo, Texas. He retired in 1986 with 42 years of Government service. His exemplary life was an example for his sons and grandchildren. He possessed a thoughtful caring nature – quietly & generously helping others in need. He worked with World Bible School for more than 20 years serving part of that time as deacon at Johnson St. Church of Christ where he was a member since 1972. His retirement years were happily filled with enjoying his family. His sons and grandchildren always included him on their excursions and he never passed up the opportunity to join them. They canoed down the Brazos River every spring spending nights on the river bank, backpacked & hiked in the mountains of Colorado and fished on the Kenai & Russian Rivers for salmon in Alaska. He and his three sons were computer buffs in the evening playing four way games together. His favorite past time was reading and fly fishing. He visited the library weekly bringing home a satchel of books each time. Duane was preceded in death by his father, John Keifer; his mother, Nina Keifer; his sister, Florine Day; his brother, Hillary Keifer. Survivors include wife of 74 + years, Novaline Keifer, his 3 sons: Kyle R. Keifer & his wife, Priscilla, of Grapevine, Darrell W. Keifer & his wife, Aileen, of Sterling, Alaska, & Carson J. Keifer & his wife, Dina, of Mansfield; 2 grandsons: Wesley Duane & Connor Duane; 5 granddaughters: Chelsea, Kristen, Madeline, Brianne and Kaley; 1 great-grandson: Blake and 4 great-granddaughters: Isabel, Bella, Brynn, and Hannah. The Funeral Service will be 10:00 A.M., Thursday, June 30, 2022, at Johnson Street Church of Christ with Dr. Tommy King officiating. Interment will follow at Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens. Duane will be available for viewing from 8:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M., Wednesday, June 29, 2022, at Harper Funeral Home. Family and friends may share condolences and sign the online register book at www.harper-funeralhome.com