- Date Of Birth: July 22, 1935
- Date Of Death: April 1, 2016
- State: Illinois
Keery W. Padfield, 80, of Freeport, passed through the gates of heaven, and declared, “I’m Home”. He was born July 22, 1935, to Charles Willis and Ruby Hazel Francis (Crippen) Padfield.
Keery was born at home and loved to tell others it was because he “wanted to be close to his Mother.”
Keery attended Freeport schools graduating in 1953, then went on to the University of Illinois, and Northern Illinois University. In 1953 he enlisted in the Naval Reserves, serving until 1961 when he received an Honorable Discharge.
On July 6, 1962, Keery married the love of his life, Barbara Mertens, in Freeport. Together they raised three daughters, Marcy (Bill) Bloom of Lovettsville, VA; Wendy Whitney of Rockford; and Lauri (Jim) Wienand of Freeport.
Keery joined the Freeport Fire Department in 1958, and retired as a Lieutenant in 1981. He loved taking his Grandchildren to Krape Park to show them the 1927 Seagrave fire truck which was the first truck he drove in 1958. Following retirement Keery went to work for Research and Investigative Laboratories, in Rockford, as a Fire Analyst. He traveled widely to determine cause and origin on behalf of the insurance industry, and testified in court where he was certified as an expert witness.
During his time on the fire department, he completed voluntary testing by the Illinois Fire Commission and became a Certified Advanced Firefighter, passing in all areas the first time. The Commission also awarded him certification as a Standard Instructor.
In 1976 Keery was invited to become an instructor for the University of Illinois – Fire Service Institute, training, teaching and giving workshops throughout Illinois and Wisconsin and serving as a Guest Instructor at the U of I annual Fire College.
His fire service memberships include: International Association of Arson Investigators; Illinois Chapter of IAAI; Northern Illinois Arson Task Force, of which he was a co-founder; and Freeport Fire Department Local 441. After leaving the fire service Keery sold transportation for Tormohlen’s, Bocker’s, and Baker Brothers. His final employment was driving bus for the Senior Citizen Resource Center.
Keery was an active member of the Freeport Jaycees, holding many offices and winning speaking awards in: Spoke; Spark Plug; and Speak-up; some of which were at district and state levels. He served as General Chairman for Miss Freeport as well as Producer and Director. He also served as a guest judge for several local pageants leading up to Miss Illinois. In 1967 he was named Key Man of the Year. Other memberships include: Keep Illinois Beautiful; March of Dimes executive board; and Noon Lions Club of which he was a Charter Member and served as both president and vice-president. He was a member of Zion CCCC Church serving on the church board and various committees.
Keery loved spending time with his family and friends. He was an avid reader, and loved to go camping with family and friends, ride motorcycle and travel, especially to historical locations in western states where he’d traveled as a boy with the YMCA.
Aside from his Wife and Daughters, Keery is survived by eleven grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, a foster granddaughter, sister-in-law, Denise Padfield Kinney, special friend Alan Robertson and his three cats, Miss Chiff, Miss Kitty and Miss “T”. He was predeceased by this parents, sister, Lynnette Newsome, brother, James Padfield and son-in-law Jeff Whitney.
