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Jonathan Bruce Keppel

Kevin Hessel
By KEVIN HESSEL · 1 min read

July 27, 1944 - October 8, 2020

“Dear old dad,” as he like to be called, has set his sails for another shore following a year-long struggle with infections resulting from his failure to take prescribed antibiotics associated with a routine teeth cleaning.

Born in Boston to Mary Alice (Sandy) and Bruce Keppel, he was sibling to Victor, Claudia, Charlie and Nori. Raised in Tiburon, a graduate of Reed Union School District schools and Redwood High School, he went on to Humboldt State University and served in the Coast Guard Reserves during the Vietnam Era.

“I’m but a humble truck peddler,” he said, who learned his trade at Baywood Trucking in Eureka. He married Denise Cancellier and fathered one issue (Joshua). Following their divorce, he relocated to the Bay Area, married a childhood classmate, Mimi Bucholz, and bought his beloved sailboat, Mimi-N-Me, which they greatly enjoyed until Mimi’s untimely passing.

Jon continued sailing the bay and Delta and found new happiness with Elizabeth Bowers, and joy when Josh married Amy Berger and begat grandson Lazlo, known as “Lolo” to Jon.

Jon shared his love of the 49ers with his Aunt Shirley Brown, his love of cooking with family and friends and an occasional glass of red wine.

Jon’s final abode was high in the mountain village of Dorrington in a magnificent rugged castle among the redwoods. The pain is over, the sails are set, the sea is calm; may the wind always be over your shoulder as we watch you meet the setting sun.

A celebration of Jon’s life hopefully will be held July 2021.

A version of this story appeared in the Nov. 18, 2020, print edition of The Ark. See something wrong? Request a correction.
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