Keith Neal Charboneau's Obituary
Keith Neal Charboneau went to be with the Lord on October 20, 2007 at the age of 68, after a courageous and determined 10-month battle with esophageal cancer, at his home in Lakewood, WA with his beloved wife of 45 years, and their son by his side. Keith was the first born son of 8 children in Seiling, OK. He is survived by his loving wife Linda, his children; daughter Renee-Michelle Kirk and her husband Barry, son Troy Charboneau and his wife Shawna; his grandchildren Taylor, Spencer, Tristan, Heather-Lynn, and Cody; five of his siblings; June, Kenneth, Jeannie, JoLynn and Jim; as well as his father-in-law, Donald Nelson and sister-in-law Sheryl Nelson and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and close friends.Keith had a way of making friends everywhere, letting them know just how important they were. He graduated from PLU and served 37 years in the US Army Reserve, retiring as a Colonel. He owned and operated Ponders Auto Parts and Rochester National Auto Parts, before becoming a real estate agent for Coldwell Banker-Bain. In addition to always being there for his family, he served his church's council and the Tacoma Power Squadron. In his semi-retirement, he and Linda loved to be out on their boat with their boating buddies. He celebrated life one adventure at a time, and always looked for ways to have a laugh and help a friend. He was a leader in everything he did, whether setting up a boating rendezvous or doing repairs on whatever needed it. He was a source of strength and support by simply being there time after time. Keith had a deep faith, loved life, and hated to leave what he saw as a beautiful world, while always trusting in God. With his passing, there is a large void in many people's lives, but the world is a much better place because he lived.
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