Keith Herman Church

April 17, 1947 - July 17, 2015

04/17/1947 - 07/17/2015

Past Services

Visitation
Sunday July 19, 2015
6:00 pm - 8:00 am
Altmeyer Funeral Home - Southside Chapel
5033 Rouse Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
(757) 422-4000 | Directions
Cemetery
Monday July 20, 2015
1:00 pm
Albert G. Horton Memorial Veteran Cemetery
5310 Milners Rd.
Suffolk, VA 23434
757-255-7217 | Directions
Service
Monday July 20, 2015
1:00 pm
Albert G. Horton Memorial Veteran Cemetery
5310 Milners Rd.
Suffolk, VA 23434
757-255-7217 | Directions
Additional Information:

Graveside Service

Keith Herman Church, 68, of Virginia Beach formally of Broadhead, WI, passed away July 17, 2015 at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital.Left to cherish his memory are his loving wife of 35 years, Sonja Church; five sons Bret, Brian, Scott, David and Michael. He is predeceased by one son, Brad. A visitation will be held from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Sunday, July 19, 2015 at Altmeyer Funeral Home, 5792 Greenwich Rd. Virginia Beach, VA. Graveside services will be conducted on Monday, July 20, 2015 at 1:00 pm at Albert G. Horton Veterans’ Cemetery, 5310 Milners Rd. Suffolk, VA.

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Bill Crawford
8 years ago

I was so sorry to find out way to late to attend the service. I am so sorry to hear about Keith passing. Pat Crawford passed almost three years ago on 11/10/12 from a brain tumor. Her and I had lost touch with your family over the past several years. Keith and your family were lots of fun over the years. I was glad to have been here and attended his retirement several years back and also visited him many times over on Cleveland Street at his civilian job. I sure wish I had known he was not doing well and was at Virginia Beach General. He will be missed by many. Take care!

Bill Crawford

Vickie Caple
8 years ago

So sorry to hear of Keith’s passing. I send love to the family. Our Mom’s were twin sisters and Roy and Lee treated me like the daughter they never had and I had the pleasure of getting invited along on some amazing fishing trips to fish swim and row boats with Jim and Keith……..

Norman David Soroko
8 years ago

I so enjoyed working Sunday and Monday for your family. You all were a delight and I pray you have no more sorrows.

Brenda Mashtare
8 years ago

Suzi I was so sorry to hear about Keith. He was so good to your brother Ron . Prayers are thoughts are out there for you and your family.

Roger Ames
8 years ago

Dear family of our deeply missed friend and classmate of Brodhead High School Class of 1965:

Herman, Don L. Clark, Charlie Wentlandt, and I went into the USMC under the “buddy” system in 1966. All of us grew up together in Brodhead. Many of us refer back to those wonderful days and compare our childhood experiences to the tv series “Mayberry.” It was a much slower and simpler time. Almost everyone in “Berry” knew everyone else, including the cops. My dad was a cop for several years. Maybe that’s why we got away with some of the crazy mischief we attempted and some that we did not. Ha!
Knowing Herman since childhood and his amazing sense of humor will always be fond memories for me. Everyone I know that shared our childhood’s with Herman has a funny and sometimes poignant memory of our friend. Watching him and always wishing I had his gift for sports and the genetic athletic ability that was lovingly passed down through his family… he was a treat to watch and admire during all the games and activities in which he competed and enjoyed.
The quality I most admire and remember, besides the humor, was his enduring loyalty and always, always, you could count on him having your back, your “6”, taking your side.
During our time in USMC boot-camp, which turned our “Mayberry” world upside down, all of us stuck together toughing it out, and we could always count on Herman to whisper a wisecrack if the whispering couldn’t be heard by the DI’s, to help lighten the load of many intense situations.
After all of us got discharged in 1968, I was happy to hear he wised up and if wanted to go back in, he reenlisted a few years later in the Navy. Now he could ride in a ship instead of jumping off one! (That was for all his Navy friends which I know will miss him as much as we do.)
Of the four of us that went on the big Marine Corps adventure, two of us are still swapping Herman stories. Don L. Clark, and now Herman have passed but he will always be remembered by us, all his friends, and his classmates from our amazing special times of growing up in “Mayberry.”

Love and prayers to your family,
Semper Fi, Oorah, and farewell to our “Berry Buddy,”
Roger Ames

Naomi K. Erickson Gourley
8 years ago

I am so sorry to hear about Keith. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time. I’m a classmate of Keith’s and we grew up together. Many good times. I was looking forward to seeing him at our 50th class reunion. He will be missed.

Daniel Kruse, SKCS, USN-Retired
8 years ago

Keith Church, was one of my dearest shipmates and friend.
Our families were bound together by Keith and I serving together in USS Concord(83-85). Many other families and shipmates have also remained close from this assignment. My wife Mary, and daughters Jackie and Heather, attended the viewing Sunday. Transiting the miles between Richmond and Virginia Beach, the car was filled with recollections of life events that included my family (the Kruse’s) and Keith’s (the Churches). There was the barbeques, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, the birthday parties, weddings, births, the hunkering down at 405 Grenfel for a hurricane, and the events that occurred when we were at sea. Each one of us, girls included, shared stories filling most of the 4 hours.
In addition to being my friend, Keith was my mentor and partner in making Concord Supply top notch.
Thinking about his other assignments.
Pre-commissioning Abe Lincoln? Keith was there to organize and run Stock Control. I’m sure that supply operations on Yellowstone and Simon Lake were also significantly enhanced by Keith being engaged in their supply operation.
But most importantly, I’m confident that there are many young box-kickers who became masters of their ship’s accounting or inventory management systems through Keith’s mentoring.
Sitting here with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat, I say so long, Senior Chief. Thank you for being my friend, shipmate and mentor for all these years.

Garry Collins
8 years ago

On behalf of the USS Concord Veterans Association, I’d like to express our deepest condolences to Sonja and the family! Keith was an active member of CVA and as one who served with Keith, I can state that he indeed was a great shipmate. We will miss him! Sailor, rest your oars!
Garry Collins
LCDR, SC, USN (ret)
Secretary, USS Concord Veterans Association

Jake & Dana Sorrell
8 years ago

So sorry for your loss. Praying for you Suzy and family.

Michael and Kathryn
8 years ago

Our prayers and thoughts go out to you and your family at this time. We will miss him.