WILLIAM LOVELL KEPLINGER
September 10, 1937 — January 28, 2025
Bill Keplinger died peacefully on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 surrounded by his family: wife Jean, daughter Kate and her husband Rob, son Jake and his wife Kellie.
He graduated as valedictorian from Canisteo High School, NY in 1955. During high school, as a violinist, he was concertmaster of his high school orchestra and a member of the NYSSMA all-state symphonic orchestra. In 1959, he graduated from Hobart College with a Bachelor of Arts in English, and received his Master of Arts in Education from the University of Rochester in 1963.
Bill taught English at Fairport High School from 1959-1994 except for two years in admissions at Hobart College, and several years as a guidance counselor in Fairport. He was a teacher until the last moments of his life, correcting the grammar of several of his nurses. He was known for his quick-witted humor that often involved terrible puns. While Jean was a history teacher and Town Historian, Bill was the keeper of the family stories — caretaker of the family’s antiques and their stories.
In retirement he volunteered for Meals and Wheels, and also Reach Out Radio, a WXXI service for the blind for which he recorded readings from the daily paper. Bill organized and ran the Fairport Retired Educators Association (FREA [pronounced “free”]), creating newsletters and gatherings of his fellow retired teachers. He was also a dedicated watcher of Jeopardy! (including the afternoon broadcast) and spent many hours doing crossword puzzles and following friends on Facebook. Bill was also an active member of St. Luke’s Church, Fairport, where he sang in the choir for many years, and was instrumental in the creation and maintenance of the church’s columbarium.
Bill and Jean enjoyed camping for decades, which in later years they turned into a cherished weeklong family time in the Adirondacks. They also enjoyed travels with Road Scholar (formerly Elderhostel), attending performances by the RPO (Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra), taking walks, birding, visits with their children and grandchildren, and enjoying their Fairport community and friends. He was proud to have narrated a commemorative adaptation of Jeff Tyzik’s “Pleasant Valley Suite” when it was performed by the RPO in Perinton, NY for the town’s 200th anniversary. Bill tried to have a little chocolate every day, and ice cream (preferably coffee-flavor) whenever he could get it; fruit was not a dessert.
In 2021 they sold their 4th house in Perinton/Fairport and moved to Valley Manor senior apartments on East Avenue in Rochester.
Bill is survived by his wife of almost 57 years, Jean; son Jake and wife Kellie; daughter Kate and husband Rob Hanson; grandchildren Mandi, Jacob, Jackson, Mara, and Nate.
Calling Hours Thursday February 6, 2025 4-6PM at the Richard H. Keenan funeral Home (Egypt Location) 7501 Pittsford Palmyra Road, Fairport. Funeral Service Friday February 7, 2025 11AM at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 77 County Corner Lane.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bill’s memory to any of the following:
28 responses to “Keplinger, William L.”
Mr. K – senior year English 1967 listening to Hal Halbrook reading Mark Twain. You loved it. Many of us, well not so much! I hope you find Hal up there in the heavens and share some Mark Twain readings.
I had Mr Keplinger for freshman and sophomore English, and yes, I remember his horrible puns. Prayers for his family as they mourn his passing. ???????
Always a smile..one of my favorite teachers!
“Mr. K” was with us for all 4 years of high school in Fairport and came to several of our class of 1963 reunions. Thought the world of him and he will be missed. What great personality!
Mr. Keplinger, really helped me plow through English classes, his infinite patience so helped. In later years I enjoyed working for them caring for their trees and landscape. Thoughts and prayers to his family.
Bill was a friend of my parents’ back in the day and someone I so looked up to as an educator and gentleman. My thoughts are with Jean and the Keplinger family.
While separated by miles and years I will always remember Bill as a master teacher and professional. God’s speed to eternal peace..
Jean, know that all of us in FREA and the whole Fairport schools are thinking of you! Your and Bill’s impact on the whole community is so far reaching and will continue for years to come. We are all blessed. Peace.
Bruce and I were welcomed to our West Church Street home with music sailing from the Keplinger’s back porch on Dewey. The music flew over a house and across West Church Street. Jean and Bill, and then Kate and Jake brightened the whole neighborhood. Bill was the leader and big half of their family community beacon. I think Heaven is celebrating Bill’s arrival with a new musical.
Class of 64 – Our teacher, our advisor, and our friend. He always told us that we were his first class to advise and his “favorite”. He was the greatest and we all loved him. We will all miss him immensely but thankful for all the time we had with him. Our sincere condolences to the family.
We’ve lost a treasure. Sympathies to Jean and the kids.
Kep was the best. He always had a smile and a kind word and the world is a little less bright with him in it. I am very sorry for your loss.
Bill was a wonderful man. As “Bill”, he was a friend of my dad’s; they met as swimmers at the Perinton Rec Center and enjoyed joking around together. As “Mr. Keplinger”, he was a friend to my teenage children; he was a long-time supporter of the kids in St. Luke’s J2A program. He took an interest in their lives and complimented them at every opportunity. As for me, a fellow lover of the English language and grammar, well… I’ve thrown in a few semicolons here in his honor. We will all miss him terribly. A kinder soul we’ll never meet.
A true gentleman and a scholar…he will be missed. Our thoughts are with his family.
To Jean, Katie and Jake:
I first knew Bill in 1947 when his family moved to Canisteo, where we were both in the CCS orchestra. In 1970 I joined the FCS staff, renewed my friendship with Bill and I met Jean. During retirement I moved to Fairport, had weekly visits with Bill until curtailed by his health issues, when we frequently emailed. So, we have been friends most of our long lives!
Bill had a long, very useful life dedicated to his family, FCS, community, and church.
He has now moved on to life eternal.
Thoughts and prayers to his wonderful family.
Mr Keplinger was my favorite English teacher! I was so sorry to hear of his passing. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Mr. Keplinger was my sophomore English teacher at FHS. When I became a senior, I decided to take the 4 English Electives so I would have a variety of educators’ viewpoints. Imagine my surprise when Mr. K turned out to be my teacher in 3 out of the 4 electives! He was quite surprised also, but I think we both were glad it turned out that way.
His class was always enjoyable and he celebrated our achievements with us, no matter how small. I loved his inflections when he read our essays to the class – he spoke exactly the way I had heard it in my head while writing it. How did he know?
Yes, his puns were legendary. He came in one day with a bandage across his nose. “It’s a boil,” he announced, as if he were announcing the birth of a child. Sometimes I was the only one laughing at his humor but I loved those puns.
When I ran into Mr. K many many years after graduation, during a Fairport 4th of July parade, it was as if I had just stepped out of is classroom for a minute. What a joy that was. More recently, we had connected through Facebook, where he continued exposing us to some of the best/worst puns available on the net.
He will be missed by so many of us who he guided through our required English classes, as well as by all who knew him in his various activities. My condolences to his family.
I had Mr Keplinger and will never forget the many laughs and all of his puns. We were the first year of his teaching and believe me we gave him a run for his money! He had the best sense of humor. In my later years in life him and his wife Jean came in weekly to my part-time job at DiBella’s in Fairport and always had his turkey sub that I made faithfully. He will be missed. RIP Mr Keplinger.??
Raise high the roof beam carpenters.
Bill contributed so much to the community. My sympathy to Jean.
Mr. K, Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your patience with me during my senior year at FHS, and specifically with my senior term paper. You were the “one” who challenged me to be the best I could be. A true gentleman who I will forever be grateful to.
One day in Mr. K’s English class, he handed out a piece of paper with one word written on it. I don’t recall the purpose of the exercise, but we were all asked to employ that word somehow in a short written or oral format. I looked at my word, “snow” for a moment then burst out with uncontrollable laughter. I still don’t know what triggered it and meant no disrespect, but the whole class joined in, Mr. K included. I guess you had to be there. Mr. K, I’m sorry for the disruption. I’m grateful to have chatted with you and Jean at FHS Class of ’64 reunions. The world needs more Bill Keplingers. It will be a better place. God bless you.
I woke up this morning thinking if Mr K. who not only was my English teacher, mentor but a friend. I must admit that I was weak academically at FHS especially in English, but that is not what I wanted to share with his family. Several fond memories, from decades ago, flashed through my mind and I would like to share a few: taking a summer day trip with him in his blue mustang to Hobart College to pick up books for whatever reason. Showing up at his apartment on South Main Street early in the morning on the day (1965) my brother was in a serious motorcycle accident. Occasionally I’d stop by his apartment, sometimes with my girlfriend just for a visit. On one occasion he jotted down a prediction about our futures, folded it up and put the note in a book -I never knew what it was. Bill and Jean attended my first wedding in 1969. Several years after HS graduation when he was a guidance counselor he told me he that I was an example that barely graduating from HS didn’t mean you couldn’t achieve your dream of achieving a goal. I graduated college with a professional architectural degree and had a successful 40-year career running my own business. I still have the note he sent me when I was recovering from a brain aneurysm surgery in 1988.
The last time I saw Bill I bought him a drink and had a nice chat with him at my 50th HS reunion. I know that I am only one of his many students who adored him, I do know that we had a special relationship, and not because I was a good English student!
My condolences to his family. He will be missed.
D
Oh my! I am so very sad! I am terrified of my grammar right now! Mr Keplinger was such a joy in my life. I loved talking about literature with him. I actually took double English my senior year because I loved reading so much. I was also kind of a pain in the you know what and he always called me out on that! He will be missed. He was truly a treasure!
He was a really super teacher and guidance counselor and a great Margo Drive neighbor! I know that my mom and dad respected and appreciated all three!
He was so kind as I remember that smile and happy manner. He was my guidance counselor (class of 73) and I am glad to have had him sign my Sr. yearbook with a very comical comment. He was the greatest. So wonderful to know he had a fulfilling life & retirement. He surely will be greatly missed and remembered.
Jean,
Sending love to you and all the family. I enjoyed getting to know my mother’s cousin aT our visit a few years ago.
Kristin
Oh Kep, I didn’t know until today when I read your obit in the pultney news magazine that you had passed. From my family to Jean and family, we send our deepest sympathy. Kep was a groomsman at our wedding and a godfather to our daughter Eileen. What a great friend! You will be missed. Until we meet again, God Bless!
Hoop