St. George, Utah - Keith Vernon Landon passed from mortality in the early morning hours of Thursday, August 16, 2012, at his Bloomington home just four months short of his 99th birthday. Born to Berl and Lulu Mae Landon on December 28, 1913 in Glenwood, Iowa, Keith was the oldest of four, including three sisters: Bernadine, Tempa and Deloris.

In his youth, the family lived across from the Glenwood Baptist Church, and frequently providing housing for visiting speakers for the church's tent meetings. One such guest was Billy Sunday, the most celebrated and influential American evangelist of the 1920's.

Due to his father's rheumatoid arthritis and his need to work outdoors, Keith's was an idyllic childhood on the shore of Lake Manawa while his father worked for the Fish and Game Club and the family lived upstairs in an apartment overlooking the lake.

Keith moved his parents to Los Angeles in 1937 where the warm weather resulted in an improvement in his father's health and together they went into the real estate business. A few years later war was declared, so Keith took a management job with Douglas Aircraft, then became the manager of a large and very popular restaurant in Pasadena, California where he met and hired a beautiful young Ruth Aiken who came into the restaurant seeking a position as a hostess/cashier. Their marriage in 1958 created a blended family including his son Berl, her daughter Diane and later, their two sons, James and Scott.

Influenced by his wife's testimony, Keith joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1962. He was ever grateful to her for that decision and was a faithful member to the end of his life. He served in many capacities and in numerous callings, including scouting, High Priest Group Leader, a counselor in the Elders Quorum and Sunday School and as a genealogy coordinator, but his favorite assignment was working in the baptistry of the St. George Temple.

In 1989, after 30 years in Covina, California, the Landons moved to St. George where the retiree was able to fully indulge his passion for golf, gardening, mechanics and maintaining their Bloomington home in prime condition.

Keith Landon was preceded in death by his parents Berl and Lulu Mae Landon; his sisters Bernadine Linville and Tempa Geiger and his son, Berl Landon.

He is survived by Ruth, his wife of 54 years; his sister Deloris Larson; his children Diane (Bob) Lawrence, James Craig (Leanne) Landon, and Scott Vernon Landon; grandchildren Terry, TJ, Jeremy, Tammy, James, Teresa, Sara, Joel, John and Rachel Landon and Matthew and Bret Lawrence; a nephew Scott Larson and 19 great-grandchildren.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to the High Priests of the Bloomington 7th Ward who unselfishly gave of their time to transport him to dialysis - three times a week for more than 3 years.

A special thank you to Patsy Carrillo of the Five County Senior Companion Program for driving Dad home after dialysis for 2 years; to the doctors and nurses at Liberty Dialysis who cared from him for more than 3 years - and who were his friends as well as his caregivers; and to in-home caregivers Pat Swain and Ronie Gutierrez.

Funeral services will be held Monday, August 20, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at the Metcalf Mortuary Chapel, 288 West St. George Blvd., At. George, Utah. A visitation will be held Monday, prior to services, at 10:00 a.m. at Metcalf Mortuary. Interment will follow at the St. George City Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Metcalf Mortuary, (435) 673-4221.