Roland Howard Keyes, Born in Loudoun County February 14, 1931 and passed away Monday, December 28, 2015 at Inova Loudoun Hospital in Lansdowne.

He was preceded in death by his Father, Roland Osbourn Keyes, his Mother, Leavie Mae Wilklow Keyes, and his brothers, Gene A. Keyes and Ray O. Keyes, of Leesburg, Va.

Survived by his wife of 63 years, Doris G. Hagee Keyes of Leesburg and one son, Michael K. Keyes (Wanda) of Purcellville; one sister, Joyce Keyes Gerber (Bill) of Leesburg; One grandchild, Mary Lou Surber (Joe) and three great grandchildren Camille Rodrick, Piper and Wyatt Surber, of Waverly Hall, Georgia; one sister-in-law, Bonnie White Keyes (Gene) of Leesburg; nieces and nephews including Dwayne, Patrick, Michelle, Lori, Debbie, and Gene, Jr.
A special thank you Dwayne A. Baker of Leesburg, Howard's nephew, who spent countless hours caring for Howard in his last days.

Howard was a patriotic man who served his country as a medic in Korea.
He met his wife to be, Doris Hagee, in church in Pulaski County Virginia and they married on May 2nd, 1952. Early in their marriage, he managed Doris's father's Texaco station near Pulaski.

Soon after having Michael, in February of 1957, they moved to Leesburg from Pulaski.

Howard went to work with friends Floyd Simpson and Joseph Grimes as a television repair man in Leesburg.
In the 60's, he went to work for the Loudoun County Sheriff's office as a dispatcher and soon became the county's first Crime Scene Investigator, training at the FBI offices in Washington, DC.
When he left the Sheriff's Office, he went to work for the Loudoun County Public Schools as an Audio Visual Technician.
He retired from the school system in 1995.

He enjoyed travelling and visiting family in Pulaksi and surrounding areas. He always said he and Doris were going to buy a Winnebago and travel to Alaska.

Howard loved photography and even had a darkroom built into his home to enjoy his handiwork as quickly as possible. He took pictures of landscapes, wildlife and all of the great outdoors.

He loved to fish along Goose Creek outside of Leesburg traveling the stream in his 17 foot aluminum canoe. Sometimes Howard and his family would stay all weekend alongside the peaceful stream.

He loved music and had a special room set up in his home to just sit back and enjoy the soothing sounds he enjoyed most. He would put on his headphones and disappear into his music.

He enjoyed old television shows, especially comedies and anything with John Wayne, which he could watch for hours on end. He also enjoyed a vintage horror flick he'd watch with family on Saturday nights.

He loved his pets, especially Annie (his dog) and Hootie (his diabetic cat), who he cared for relentlessly, providing twice daily insulin shots that kept her going for many years. He loved all the pets that crossed his path. When he was in rehab recovering from hip surgery in late 2014, he welcomed visits from his son & daughter-in-law's dog, Prosper, who sat by him on his bed. Even during his illness, he never failed to ask how Prosper and the other pets were doing. He cared for stray cats that would wander into his yard and many of them stayed to enjoy the love and attention he provided.

In his waning years, Howard battled Parkinson's disease. While his body was failing, his mind was as sharp as a tack. He kept up with local and national news and never failed to offer an opinion, especially related to politics. From his front window, he could watch the world go by and welcome family and friends who visited him often. He could recall any event from his past and particularly enjoyed reliving his crime scene investigation and courtroom experiences.

He loved to eat. He enjoyed pizza, spiced shrimp, hamburgers, hot dogs, pork skins and frozen yogurt. He washed everything down with an ice cold Pepsi.

He was an amazing man, a true loving husband, an awesome father and a fine friend. His legacy will live on and his example will be followed for years to come.

He loved his God and his church, where he was a deacon and where he taught Sunday School and led prayer services.

Howard was a faithful man, clinging to his faith in God to guide him through life and he believed strongly in the power of family. His heart was full of love for his fellow man and the life he led was a prime example of that love.


A graveside service is planned for 12:00 p.m. on Monday, February 8, 2016 at Quantico National Cemetery.