John Brett Kieffer

February 12, 1941 – April 2, 2017

John will be remembered as a gentleman, and as a gentle man who passionately loved his family and everything outdoors, and who amused everyone with his charming wit.

John was born in Stockton, California on February 12, 1941, to William and Margaret (McDonald) Kieffer. At the end of World War II the family was posted to London, where John began his education at the age of 4, taking the London bus system unescorted to St. John’s Wood School. After four years in London, John’s family returned to the states and moved on a nearly annual basis, as was common for a career military family in that era.

John lived in Albuquerque during his high school years, at which time his considerable musical talents became apparent. He played oboe and clarinet in the Albuquerque Symphony, and he pursued his musical interests throughout college, playing saxophone in jazz bands and combos. Later in life, he taught himself to play the banjo. He was a truly gifted and multi-faceted musician, and he passed his passion for music along to all 4 of his grandsons.

John attended the University of Texas at Austin where he received a degree in Electrical Engineering. He was a member of Chi Phi fraternity. While attending a summer session at the university he met, on a blind date, his future wife, Ann Balthrop.

After graduating from UT, John began his career at General Dynamics in Pomona, California, working with US Navy guided missile systems. In 1964, he and Ann were married in Dickinson, Texas. The following year he took an assignment as the liaison between General Dynamics and the Applied Science Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University in Laurel, Maryland.

John’s great opportunity came several years later when he was offered a position with Atlantic Richfield in Alaska. He and his family, now including daughters, Peggy and Kelly, moved to Anchorage. During the 20 year period he worked for Atlantic Richfield, John worked at the Prudhoe Bay oil field, inside the Arctic Circle, and at the Anchorage office. After two decades of family adventures in Alaska including many memorable skiing, fishing, camping, and canoe trips, John and Ann searched for a retirement home and found it in Bend, arriving on January 31, 1996. The retirement years were spent traveling through Europe and Africa, visiting with family, and playing golf with the Hackers, an esteemed and august group of fine gentlemen at Widgi Creek Golf Club.

John is survived by Ann, his wife of 52 years; daughters, Peggy Nemeth (Mike) and Kelly Kieffer (Seth Brooks); grandchildren, Jennifer Nemeth Dorn (Zach), Calvin and Kiefer Nemeth, Sawyer and Owen Brooks; great grandchildren, Petra and Cyrus Dorn; sister, Kathleen Kieffer Hansel, and brother, William Kieffer.

A family Celebration of Life will be held in the summer. John can be remembered with donations to Partners In Care Hospice, 2075 NE Wyatt Court, Bend, OR, 97701, or The High Desert Museum, 59800 S. Highway 97, Bend, OR 97702.