Paul T. Keeslar passed away on Sept. 8, 2019 in San Leandro, CA at age 80. He was born June 8, 1939 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Agneta, their three children – Lisa, Erik and Tor, and their three grandchildren – Nina, Olivia, and Stella.
A career airline pilot, he earned his pilot wings in the US Navy and flew as a Naval Aviator briefly onboard P-2V Neptunes and ultimately onboard P-3 Orions before retiring as a commander in the Naval Reserves. After leaving active duty in the ’60 he became a commercial airline pilot flying first with Pan American World Airways and then United Airlines. Over the next 35 years, he qualified on nearly all the commercial aircraft of the day, helped write pilot training publications in the 70’s and 80’s, served as a check pilot in the ‘90s, and ultimately rose to Captain of the Boing 747-400 before retiring.
Early in his career while working a Pan-Am flight to Sydney, Australia, he met the love of his life, Agneta, working as a stewardess. They settled in San Mateo where they lived for 42 years before moving across the bay. They raised three children in the Laurelwood area and in their later years a small herd of Great Danes and a feisty Boston Terrier.