Sidney Irwin Keller – Sholom Yisroel ben David, age 90, died peacefully from natural causes, on Friday, May 8, 2020 at his home in West Hartford, Connecticut. He was born on June 17, 1929 in the Bronx, where he lived until the age of six, when his family moved to Port Jervis, New York. The son of Lillian and David Keller and brother of Rita Kargman, also of West Hartford, Sidney spent his youth exploring with his friends and was an all-star athlete, competing in many sports, and excelling in track and field. Sid graduated from Drake University with a degree in Education in 1951. Soon after he entered the army during the Korean War and was stationed in Europe, where he coached the US Army track team in international competition. He was well respected by the Army Brass, his team and the international track community as an athlete and coach. In 1952 he competed as a sprinter and long jumper in the Helsinki Olympic Trials at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. In 1957 Sidney graduated from pharmacy school at Union College in Schenectady, New York. During the July 4th weekend of 1959, he met Frances Betty Greenberg, the love of his life, on Nantucket Island. After a romantic courtship, and some scrutiny by Frances’s father, they married on November 15, 1959. Sidney was a wonderful son-in-law and was deeply loved by Frances’s parents Joseph and Jennie Greenberg. With his wedding to Frances, Sidney gained two loving sisters and brothers-in law, Shirley and Basil Scott and Esta and Stephen Snider. Sidney, alongside his best friend and brother in law Larry Kargman, then built a chain of independent pharmacies, working side by side with respect and admiration for many years. Later in life Sidney used his competitive nature to become a Bridge Master, and renewed his love for nature, adventure and the outdoors with a love of fly fishing. Sidney and Frances built an incredibly close and supportive family with their children Jonathan, Susan, Judith and Nancy. To each of them he was kind, unconditionally loving and devoted. Throughout the years as their family continued to grow, Sidney shared his endless love, support and kindness. He was less of a father-in-law and more of a father to Dana, Moshe, Peter and Brett. He was an adoring grandfather to Yael, Sara, Miriam, Dovid, Leah, Samara, Michal, Mendy, Yosef, Chana, Remony, Lilly, Zelda, Sasha, Yehuda, Chaim, and Chana, with each of whom he had a special relationship full of unconditional love. That patience, care and affection was also shared with his seventeen great-grandchildren, and all his many adored nieces, nephews, and great- nieces and nephews. Sidney lived his life with grace, love and kindness. He loved and was so very loved.
