Gerald Logue Keegan

Gerald Logue Keegan, 73, of Ravenna, passed away on Friday, April 4, 2025, at UH Portage Medical Center.

Born March 26, 1952, in Akron, Ohio, to Wilbur V. and Ruth A. (Hickman) Keegan, he was known to nearly everyone in his life as Jerry, or more often, JK. A lifelong musician and multi-instrumentalist, JK was, above all, a man whose love of country and bluegrass music shaped much of his world. His favorite instrument was the steel guitar, but he was also self-taught on guitar, piano, mandolin, keyboard, banjo, and likely a few others—never one to let a new instrument go untested.

JK was a man of deep obsessions. He was devoted to the things he loved: The Beatles, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Harry Potter, and storytelling in all its forms. His TV tastes ranged from Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, The Wire, The Ozarks, NYPD Blue, and Las Vegas, to The Price Is Right, M*A*S*H, The Andy Griffith Show, Star Trek, and in recent years, Friends. He had a soft spot for Blazing Saddles and a deep appreciation for artists like Alison Krauss, Marty Stuart, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash. He was a long-suffering Cleveland sports fan, and was truly amped at seeing how well the Cavs were playing this year—asking for score updates into his final hours of consciousness. He was also a devoted crossword puzzler—always in ink, of course. And no matter what he was watching, reading, or solving, he almost certainly had a Diet Coke in hand—consumed with the reverence and frequency of a true disciple.

He also cherished long-standing friendships, including a ragtag group of friends from high school and his early bands like Sheriff and Cody—his brothers in life, in music and in mischief. Together, some of them created the now-legendary Tournament of Chumps, a yearly golf tradition held at Windmill Lakes for decades. When time and aging bodies made 18 holes more ambitious than realistic, the tournament evolved into a fiercely competitive video golf event, filled with just as much raucous laughter and boisterous reminiscence.

Jerry’s sense of adventure never dulled. He traveled to Florida, Texas, Arizona and California among other places in the last few years to visit family and old friends. This past summer, he went skydiving for the first time with his daughter Aliesha—a bucket list obsession turned into a life-changing leap. He talked about it constantly in the months that followed, and he absolutely planned to go again when the season opened this spring.

In his downtime, Jerry loved mowing the lawn—daily, if possible, from April to October—and sharing his fixations with those around him. This often took the form of made-up lyrics to classic songs, oft-repeated (and always inappropriate) play-by-play reenactments from his latest TV or movie obsession, and deep dives into the intricacies of music theory—always delivered in a way that made it clear he understood it as easily as breathing. And if you didn’t? Well… you probably ought to try harder.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 48 years, Carolyn (Furrer); his children Aliesha Fullerman (Greg), Chris Keegan (Allison), and Julie McCann (Brian); and his six beloved grandchildren—Isabelle (16), Allie (14), Collin (8), Lena (7), Audrey (6), and Hunter (3), each of whom he was deeply proud of. He also leaves behind a host of equally adored nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, cousins, and lifelong friends. He will be missed beyond measure.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Ruth Keegan; his brothers, John and Jim; and his beloved grandparents, Charles and Augusta Hickman, with whom he lived for most of his adolescence. It is our hope that they were all there waiting to greet him with open arms when he reached the other side.

Cremation has taken place. A memorial visitation will be held from 2–5 PM on Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Shorts Spicer Crislip Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel. A funeral service will follow at 11 AM on Monday, April 14, at Grace Episcopal Church in Ravenna, with a luncheon and time for fellowship immediately afterward. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Jerry's honor to the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, supporting music education and helping put instruments into the hands of the next generation of musicians. www.mhopus.org

Condolences and memories of JK may be shared at www.sscfuneralhomes.com.