Thomas Richard Keck, Jr.

Thomas R. Keck Jr. (March 16, 1939 – April 17, 2019). Heaven has another carpenter. Tom Keck was a builder—of master carpentry, of homes and businesses, of community, and of family. His life was a testament to the power of leading by example. Words were for sharing stories, traditions, and camaraderie, but when it came to life’s big questions, he let his actions do the talking. A man of faith, Tom trusted his God and walked with a quiet strength that inspired his family to find in themselves what he saw in them, and touched everyone he came in contact with throughout his eight decades of life. Tom’s greatest pride was his family, and his greatest blessing, he’d often say, was in finding true love twice in a lifetime. Tom passed away after a brief illness, surrounded by his family, and after proclaiming “I’ve had a great life.” He was preceded in death by his first wife, the former Carol Jane Lecky, who passed away in 1985, and second wife, the former Carol Jean Beal-Dirham, who passed away in 2016. A lifelong Stark County resident, service was a big part of Tom’s life. He was a past patron of the Order of the Eastern Star and went through chairs twice, once with his first wife and again with his mother-in-law. He was also a 32nd degree Mason in the Scottish Rite, a veteran of the U.S. Army, and a proud 1957 graduate of Jackson High School. Tom is survived by children Wendy (Richard) Ellison, John (Lonnie) Keck, and Daryl (Amy) Dirham, grandchildren Carolyn Ellison, Benjamin Ellison, and Michael Ellison, brothers Daniel (Carol) Keck and Michael (Georgia) Keck, sister Jeanne (Eric) Scott, sister-in-law Connie Keck, and numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family. Preceded in death by brother N. Mark Keck and sister-in-law Linda Keck. Calling hours 4-7 p.m. Monday at Paquelet Funeral Home in Massillon, funeral service Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Real Hope Church in Jackson Township. In lieu of flowers, Tom requested donations to either Real Hope Church or First United Methodist Church in Massillon. The family thanks the nurses, support staff, and physicians of Mercy Medical Center’s emergency room and 8th and 9th floors for their attentive, compassionate care.