William George Keener, 83, affectionately known to friends as “Bill” and to family as “Dad” and “Pap”, passed away peacefully on January 18, 2026, surrounded by family. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Bill lived with unwavering faith in God, grounded every step in trust and gratitude, and served others with humility, compassion, and steadfast love.

Bill was born on June 24, 1942, to Harris and Frances Keener in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Connellsville and, after graduating from high school, earned his Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from West Virginia Wesleyan University. Shortly after beginning his career as a chemist with Gulf Oil Corporation, he met and married the love of his life, Kathy (deceased).

Bill’s career led the family from Pennsylvania to South Carolina, then to Texas, and finally to Ohio. Upon retirement, Bill and Kathy returned to South Carolina, where they enjoyed more than 20 years in Simpsonville.

Bill led an extremely active life. He enjoyed countless hours cultivating his beautiful yard and creating beautiful woodcrafts in his workshop. Bill faithfully served the Lord and others through Simpsonville United Methodist Church and Hopewell United Methodist Church and gave generously of his time to the Greenville WoodworkersGuild, the Simpsonville Garden Club, the Kilgore Lewis House, and the Boy Scouts of America. He was always available to lend a helping hand to his family and friends.

Bill will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew him. Left to cherish his memory are his loving children, Sharon (Wojtek), Jennifer, and David (Sharon); and his beloved grandchildren, Maggie, William, and Marissa. He is also survived by his sister, Mary (David) Toler. Bill was preceded in death by Kathy, his parents, and Kathy’s parents, William and Lois Fullerton.

A Celebration of Bill’s Life was held on Saturday, February 7, at Hopewell United Methodist Church, 1420 Neely Ferry Road, Simpsonville, SC 29681, at 11:00 a.m. with interment immediately following at the Hopewell UMC Columbarium. A luncheon reception followed at the church, and was open to all, to continue sharing fond memories.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bill’s name to Hopewell United Methodist Church, 1420 Neely Ferry Road, Simpsonville, SC 29681, http://hopewellumcsimpsonville.com, or Greenville Woodworkers Guild, 209 Hollyridge Court, Greenville, SC 29607, www.greenvillewoodworkers.com, or Scouting America Blue Ridge Council.

Help Us Create a Word Cloud for Bill

We are creating a word cloud to honor Bill and would love for everyone who knew him to participate. A word cloud is a visual display of words, where the words shared most often appear larger and more prominent.

To participate, please share a word or short phrase that describes Bill: Copy and paste this link into your browser: PollEv.com/jenniferkeener488 OR Use your phone and text jenniferkeener488 and your message to 22333

Thank you for helping us celebrate Bill’s life and legacy. 

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