RIP Mel Keefer

 

Los Angeles Times

February 15, 2022

A native Angeleno, Mel was born to Ida and Charles Keefer, later becoming big brother to Phyllis. His West Adams childhood revolved around two passions: sports and art. He excelled in track and field and loved football. Mel possessed a precocious gift for drawing realistically, so much so that Norman Rockwell penned a complimentary letter to Mel after seeing one of his sketches.

Immediately upon graduating Los Angeles High School., Mel enlisted in the Navy. He served two years before returning to Los Angeles to attend classes at Art Center and Chouinard on the G.I. Bill. But he most credited a Santa Monica school run by cartoonist Jefferson Machamer for forging his future. It was there that he met Rosanne, an artist's model. They married in 1951 and began an adventurous life together on the East Coast, the West Coast, Hawaii and in Europe, raising their three children (Susan, Linda and Tom.)

Mel’s art career was stellar. He drew for dozens of syndicated comic strips and illustrated hundreds of books, news stories and animated cartoons. In 2007, Mel was awarded the Comic-Con Lifetime Achievement Inkpot Award. Perhaps Mel’s most noteworthy contribution to the art and sports world was Mac Divot, a syndicated daily comic strip that ran in 150 newspapers for over 20 years. For that, Mel was inducted into the Southern California Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.

After Rosanne died in 1982, Mel married philanthropist Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer. When they weren't traveling the world, their lives revolved around events that funded doctors and their cancer research, hospitals and many good causes. In his final months, Mel was excellently cared for by everyone at the Jewish Home for the Aged in Reseda.

Mel Keefer tenaciously held onto life for 95 years; he died surrounded by love, watching The Golf Channel. He will be missed by many: his wife, Joyce, his children, (Susan Thacker, Linda Keefer (John Stark), and Tom Keefer (Cindy Keefer), five grandchildren Nicholas, Tyler, Jade Thacker (John Barlog), Gracie Stark (Justin Midiri), Ruby Stark (Scotty Garapedian) and two great-grandchildren Simone (Barlog) and Hudson (Garapedian.) He will be remembered for his art legacy and wicked sense of humor.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, February 15th, 2022, 3 p.m. at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park and Mortuary, 5950 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, California 90068.

Donations in Mel Keefer's name can be made to: Los Angeles Jewish Home, Attn: Corey Slavin, 7150 Tampa Avenue, Reseda, California 91335 (818) 774-3031 (www.lajh.org)

 

KEEFER, Mel (Melvin James Keefer)

Born: 7/2/1926, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Died: 2/11/2022,Reseda, California, U.S.A.

 

Mel Keefer’s western – comic book artist:

Gene Autry – 1954-1955

Rick O’Shay – 1978-1981