Eric Wilhelm Keilbach passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023 after a brief illness.
He was born Jan. 12, 1965 in Ithaca, New York and was the eldest son of Donna and Karl Keilbach. He spent his younger years growing up amongst his many aunts and uncles in Lansing, New York.
Eric met the love of his life, Meg, while they were both very young. He would tell the story how he would protect her on the school bus, but at the same time, enjoyed pulling on her braids. After his family moved to Florida, he spent several summers during high school in Lansing coming back for wrestling camps and that’s when he and Meg spent time going to the lake and driving around in his Aunt Sue’s VW bug. After high school, they parted ways and Meg went off to college and Eric joined the Air Force and then spent 25 years living in Florida. His daughter Shelbi was born in 1992 and spent time living in Lansing with the family.
In 2005, they reunited when he returned to Lansing for his grandmother’s funeral and he moved back to Lansing later that year. They were married in February 2006 and their son Willy was born later that year. He would joke that if they married back in 1983 after high school, they would have been retired and enjoying many grandchildren, but life took them both down a different path.
Eric was a hard worker and no matter where he worked, he put 110 percent into the job. Many of his coworkers would say that he was almost too meticulous but that was what Eric was all about. He loved working with his hands, and finding new ways to do things.
Eric loved to travel and spend time camping with his family. In 2020, at the height of COVID, Eric, Meg and Willy left Lansing and traveled throughout the United States in their beloved motor home, The Princess Pad. They were fortunate enough to enjoy many state and national parks on their travels. By the end of the year, they realized they wanted to move to Texas to be closer to family. They spent two years living in the Princess Pad waiting for their home, The Whistle Stop, to be completed in the Swiss Alp community. Eric worked hard to prepare the small ranch for their cows Betty, Martha and the newest Georgia.
Eric is survived by his wife, Meg; his daughters, Shelbi (Michael Vanderburg), Hannah Overstrom and Abby Overstrom, and his son, Will Keilbach; his brothers, Kurt Keilbach and Karl Keilbach (Amy); his grandson, Eli Vanderburg; brother-in-law, Skip Hardie (Holly) and sister-in-law, Ann Yale (Roger); plus many aunts, uncles and cousins.
He always lived life to the fullest, and made friends, no matter where he went. The family asks that you remember Eric with a big smile on your face.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the The Racker Center (3226 Wilkins Road, Ithaca, New York 14850) or the Turtle Wing Foundation (P.O. Box 631, Schulenburg, Texas 78956).