Barbara Bobbie Keltner
April 7, 1937 ~ July 4, 2009
Keltner, Barbara (“Bobbie”) Marion (Smith), 72, homemaker and environmental activist, passed away Friday evening, July 3rd, 2009 at Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice. Bobbie was born in Dallas, TX on April 7th, 1937. She graduated from Wichita East High School in 1956, attended Wichita University for two years, and received a B.S. in Recreation Education from Los Angeles State College on January 25th, 1963. She was preceded in death by her parents, Frederick Marion Smith and Mary Lee (McDonald) Smith. She is survived by two siblings, her sister, Darrelyn (Smith) Carroll of Eugene, OR and her brother, Dr. William K. Smith, PhD, of Winston Salem, NC. Bobbie was married to William H. (“Bill”) Keltner at the Baldwin Hills United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, CA on July 1st, 1960. They have one child, Brandon Lea Keltner of Boston, MA. Bobbie and Bill resided in California until 1967 and then returned to Wichita, KS. Bobbie was active in tennis, sailing, ice skating, gardening, companion animals, dried flower arrangements, clay pottery and the South Wind Group Sierra Club. She was appointed by the Sedgwick County Commissioners as one of the initial members of the county Environmental Resource Advisory Board. During her life she vigorously supported a variety of environmental and social issues. Bobbie was also a supporting member of the West Heights United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established with West Heights United Methodist Church, South Wind Group of Sierra Club and Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice. A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, July 18th, 2009, 10:00 A.M. at West Heights United Methodist Church, 745 N. Westlink Avenue, Wichita, KS 67212. Downing Lahey Mortuary West.
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Please accept our deepest condolences for your family’s loss.
Bill, thanks to you and Bobbie for the opportunity to become closer friends during the past decade. Passion and commitment were the touchstone for her many fine qualities.
Dear family, I graduated high school with Barbara, and although I was not a real close friend, we were friends. I wanted to send my sympathies to her family. She was a really nice person to be around.
Barbara was one of my dearest friends since we went to College Hill Elementary in Wichita. She kept in touch with me through my bout with breast cancer, and we usually saw each other at the art festival at Thanksgiv- ing. And of course at our highschool reunions Even though I lived in OKC, Barbara kept in touch with me. She was a dear, dear, friend, and she will be truly missed.
Bobbie was one of the most dedicated members of the Sierra Club Southwind Group and was one of the original organizers of our Group and the Kansas Chapter. She was a wonderful individual and a tireless worker for environmental causes. We will all miss her.
Bill, I’m so very deeply sorry to see Bobbie lost her battle. I know she was your soul mate and wish you and Brandon only the best getting through this difficult time. Bobbie was one of a kind and I’ll miss her a lot.
Dear family, The entire Redskin athletic fzmily is saddened by Bobbie’s death. We will miss her support at our games. I personally will miss her smile and the wave she gave me each time we saw each other. Shane Cordell, Little River Redskin Coach
Bill Brandon Our hearts go out to you in this time of sorrow. Peace Prayers and Blessings.
Bobbie Keltner was a favorite of ours. We often talked,visited and traveled together. Our whole family loved her. No one will ever take her place.