Memorial
Keith Fletcher of Madison, Wisconsin (formerly of Cedar Rapids) passed away on Friday, July 7, 2017 at Attic Angel Health Care Center in Madison.
Funeral service: 3:30 pm Saturday, July 15, 2017 at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories with entombment in the Cedar Memorial Park Mausoleum. Visitation will be from 2:30-3:30 pm at the chapel on Saturday.
Keith Fletcher was born in Vinton, Iowa in 1924 to Cecil and Gladys (Tupper) Fletcher. He attended country school and Lincoln High in Vinton. Upon graduation from DeVry Technical Institute in Chicago he joined Sonora Radio as an engineering assistant, then served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in the mid-Pacific during World War II.
In 1946, he entered Iowa State University where he was a member of Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu honorary engineering fraternities. In 1950, he received his B.S. degree in electrical engineering. Prior to graduation, Keith met the love of his life, Rose Marie “Toni” St. John, and they were married in Davenport, Iowa in 1951.
After graduation from Iowa State, Keith served in management at Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids for 39 years including director of an avionics engineering division. He managed the development of communication and navigation equipment for commercial and private aircraft. During a five-year assignment in Melbourne, Florida he established and managed the company’s first avionics engineering facility in that state. He and his wife later relocated to Cedar Rapids where Keith retired in 1989.
Although his first love was family, including his four wonderful grandsons, he had many other interests including photography, genealogy research, and travel to Europe. He was an avid tennis fan and played in a tennis league into his eighties. He also taught a course on mutual fund investing for Kirkwood Community College for 14 years.
Keith was a very active volunteer in the Linn County Trails Association and spent thousands of hours from 1998 to 2005 leading volunteers dedicated to procuring Milwaukee railroad right-of-way areas that were in danger of being diverted to other uses. He helped to clear and grade the land into a scenic trail for public use. The Grant Wood Trail was donated to Linn County in 2005 for future generations to enjoy. For his leadership on this project, the American Hiking Society honored Keith with the 2002 State of Iowa Volunteer of the Year Award.
Survivors include his wife, Toni, of Madison, Wisconsin; daughter Karen Franker (David) of Madison, Wisconsin; son, Robert Fletcher (Haven) of Mason, Ohio; sister Donna Tozour of St. Petersburg, Florida; grandson Robert Parker (Jill) of La Crosse, Wisconsin; grandson Ned Parker (Jacque) of Hampton, Iowa; grandsons Evan and Grant Fletcher of Mason, Ohio; three step-grandchildren, two nieces, and a nephew. Keith was preceded in death by his parents and a brother.
In lieu of flowers, friends may send contributions to the Linn County Trails Association at P.O. Box 2681, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52406 or to their favorite charity.