Roy Keller

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. — Roy Fred Keller, 96, of Excelsior Springs, professor emeritus of computer science and engineering at University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), died Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023.

Roy was born April 3, 1927, in Cape Girardeau County at home on the Oakwood Stock Farm to Fred A. and Rosa Anna Grossheider Keller, the sixth son in a family of eight children — seven brothers and one sister. The one sister and one brother died before Roy was born, so he grew up in a family of six boys. He married Eldora Erma Simpher, his high school sweetheart, on Aug. 14, 1949. They were lifelong members of the Lutheran Church.

He graduated from College High School in 1946 and Southeast State Missouri University (SEMO) in 1950, and started his high school teaching career only to be interrupted by the Korean War. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and, because of his college education, he received a direct commission. He attended electronics school in Biloxi, Mississippi, and was sent to Selfridge Air Force Base in Mount Clemens, Michigan, as the head of an AC&W (Air Craft and Warning) Squadron (radar system). He left active duty in 1954 and continued in the reserve, and then he was honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1964. After that, he served as a civilian consultant to the Air Force for the next nine years at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Eglin AFB was the home of the USAF Mathematical Services Laboratory where new weapons were tested. They made good use of Roy's math, computer science and electronics knowledge during his years there.

During his time in electronics school in Mississippi, he developed a strong interest in computing and electronics and continued that career path. He obtained his master's and doctorate degrees in mathematics from the University of Missouri (MU), where he set up their first computer research center (CRC) as a graduate student and was named full director upon his graduation in 1961 and became an associate professor of math. In 1967, he moved to Iowa State University (ISU) as a professor of math, computer science and a senior researcher at Ames Laboratory — a federally supported research lab. In 1981, he moved to UNL as professor and chairman of the computer science and engineering department, setting up their Ph.D. program and then retiring in 1991 and moving back to Columbia, Missouri. He supervised the research of 25 Ph.D. students in his academic career, nine in mathematics and 16 in computer science.

He attended and helped organize many professional mathematical and computer science meetings, presented many research papers and was a national lecturer many years for American Mathematical Association and Association of Computing Machinery, and was a member of both societies. In addition to funding from Ames Lab, he acquired significant Nation Science Foundation grants to fund research and purchase computer equipment. He was an Alumni Merit Award Winner at SEMO in 2001.

Roy was always active in sports, especially in high school. He attended almost all football games at MU, ISU and UNL, was a member of Athletic Council at ISU for six years and chairman for three years. In retirement, he excelled at golf. He had a handicap of 4 to 7 until almost 80 years of age and had three holes-in-one, started shooting his age at 75 and continued to do so until he couldn't play anymore when COVID-19 hit at age 92. He played in many tournaments -- alone, with Eldora, his son, a brother or other teammates. He also enjoyed hunting, slow pitch softball and wine making. He and Eldora enjoyed couples bridge, bowling, golfing, dancing, gardening and yard work.

Roy was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Rosa Keller; brothers, Irvin, Howard, Dewey, Quinton, Layton and Art; sister, Dorothy; and son, Clifford.

He is survived by his wife Eldora; daughter, Jana (Steve) Schwarz; six grandchildren; three stepgrandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; four great-stepgrandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Burial services will be held in Cape Girardeau at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, Alzheimer's Association or a charitable organization of choice.

Bross and Spidle Funeral Home in Excelsior Springs will oversee the arrangements.