Andrew Francis Keck

Andrew Francis Keck passed away on January 8, 2021 with his wife, Denise LaForce, and dear friend Amrita Patel by his side. He is survived by his daughter Opal Keck and brother Dennis Keck, his Uncle Denny, Aunt Phyllis, his in-laws Marc and Nancy, three sisters-in-law, a brother-in-law, his treasured nieces and nephew Madeleine, Marie-Delphine, Zsa Zsa, Maddy and Thomas, many cousins, and the Patel, Sniffin and Richburg families. He is preceded in death by parents Norman and Christina, as well as his beloved dogs Zoey and Ernie. Born April 1, 1974 in the great metropolis of Elmira, NY, Andrew was a man of many names. Known to some as Andy or Andyman, his closest friends and family simply called him ‘Keck". But his favorite name of all was Daddy. Keck worked at Piedmont Natural Gas/Duke Energy for more than 20 years. When not on the job, Keck could be found at home tending to his garden or making tie-dye t-shirts. His best creations came to life while listening to classic rock, which was his favorite type of music. (He professed to merely tolerate the Hamilton soundtrack his wife and daughter insisted on listening to daily…but was occasionally caught singing along.) Keck also made a mean hamburger, and was relentless in his pursuit to pile as many condiments and extras as possible between the bun. He also had a penchant for donuts. While not documented, it is believed he might have been the first to put the burger and donut together. Genius! He loved to travel and had the opportunity to visit Istanbul, many places in Europe, the Caribbean and Hawaii. One of his favorite spots was the LaForce family vacation home on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. He was always the first one in and last one out of the water, and the only member of the family who had the patience to teach his triplet nieces how to waterski. He was also famous for his grand flips, dives and bellyflops off the dock. We have the video footage. But what Keck was best known for was his dry, witty sense of humor. He was one of the funniest guys you have ever met. A master of facial expressions, impressions and just general hilarity, Keck was always the first to both the joke and the punch line. He brought much laughter and smiles into our lives. The roars of laughter from Keck and Opal when they watched Bob's Burgers or Wipeout filled the entire house and could certainly be heard next door. As the Grateful Dead once said, "May the four winds blow you safely home." We miss you, Keck.