Jerry Keefer ill

Posted on 1911 forum

News from Jerry Keefer

Forum members may have noted one of our respected smiths has been posting less frequently. Jerry Keefer posted this in response to a thread over at 1911pro.

"Hello everyone... Thanks for thinking of me... presently, I am unable to work.. I never made it super public, but 15 months ago I went down with a collapsed lung.. Turned out to be lung cancer. Treatments went well until this past June.. I have had some major set backs since then. Spent considerable time in the hospital this week. Testing,, procedures, and biopsies, etc. Fatigue and pain is substantial...Takes considerable time to recover from the slightest exertion..

I will get the results of much of last weeks testing on Monday.. and begin a new chemo "cocktail" regime..

Never smoked a cigarette in my life..

Thanks again for thinking and praying for me."

I asked him if I could copy the news here in respect for his privcy but he said I was free to share it.

I know there are many members here that have learned from and appreciated his generous help and advice. I know I have! My prayers are with him and his family.

Joe

Oh man!  I hope he gets better.  But from what I know of lung cancer it seldom does.  

Godspeed, Jerry.

Prayers for Jerry and his family.
- Dave

My thoughts are with him. I'm sure all would agree we really enjoyed having him on this board and were saddened to see him go. His knowledge and willingness to share it were truly appreciated. Owning and shooting a Keefer will stay a dream.

I really enjoyed all the pictures he has posted.  Hope for the best.

Chip

Prayers my friend

Oh...my thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Keefer. His posts are usually the most interesting and enjoyable reading on this and other forums, I learned so much just by reading them and looking at the pictures he posted. I really hope for the best.

I'm saddened to read this news about Jerry Keefer.  He has left an impact to me and many shooters by his generosity with his time and pistol donations at Camp Perry and by sharing his wealth of knowledge to the bullseye community.  He is a true gentleman and one of great character.  My thoughts will be with you and I'm hoping for the best.  Part of Jerry will always be in my pistol as he helped design the sear that I use.

I wish Jerry a speedy remission and recovery.  He is a star in the pistolsmith world and a genuinely nice person.

This is truly sad news. I hope his treatments help.

I'm sad to hear that, I too learn from his posts. 

We don't get to pick the length of our life, but we do get to choose the quality we live it.  Jerry definitely makes this community better by giving us fresh insight and "gently" pointing us to his previous work.

Prayer sent for Jerry for a speedy and complete recovery. He's been very unselfish in sharing his vast knowledge and thus is a pillar of this community.

Jerry is one of the best men that I know. And he is a big reason that it has been possible for me to run and rebuild the Bullseye matches at Cavalier. He has also helped me to keep a couple of finicky guns running when parts were scarce. I was thinking about him just yesterday as I was cleaning a 1911. 

In August, with 33 people on the line, the targets stopped turning. After the line was safe, the next thing that I knew Jerry was in the compressor pit, figuring out what was wrong. In that case it was simply a loose wire, but it might have taken me an hour or more to figure it out. He had done it in a 15 minutes, checking first the solenoid which worked with a hot wire, then the cylinder (which leaks a little) anyway, then finally the connection of the hot wire to the relay, which is where the problem was. 

Over the years I've heard him called an inventor, a gunsmith, and  a master machinist. He is all of those.  But having spent most of my adult life working with scientists, Jerry ranks with the best of them when it comes to thinking through a problem, designing a solution, testing that solution and then implementing it.

Get well Jerry. Praying for you.

James 5:15 says: And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.

Let us all offer that prayer for Jerry

Amen to that.
Will keep him in my prayers.

The posts above are a fine testament to Mr. Keefer! I heartily agree and wish to add my best wishes and prayers!

Ron Habegger

Jerry is going to kick this in the teeth. 
It was an absolute pleasure to shoot next to him at Cavalier while I was in VA and expect to do so again when I go back east.

Semper Fi brother!

I've never had the pleasure of meeting Jerry in person, only by phone which I enjoyed immensely. I enjoy seeing his pictures of his working area and marveling at the workings of his mind and his ability to transfer that to metal. What a treasure!  Jmdavis pretty much said it, in his posts last 2 lines.

To improve his recovery, I'll refrain from posting any & all pictures of my workbenches and just send prayers & best wishes.
Al