Isa Naomi Canter Lazear Keller
KELLER: Isa Naomi Canter Lazear Keller, beloved wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend passed away on May 3, 2013 at the age of 88. She was born on May 2, 1925 to Joseph and Edith (Canter) Lazear in Pittsburgh, and lived there until shortly after her marriage. She was a resident of nearby McKeesport, PA until 2010 when she and her husband relocated to Kettering, OH. She graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh, and then went on to attend Bethany College in West Virginia, and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. She taught school, and then went into the millinery business with her husband Bill in 1958 in Braddock. They retired from retailing in 1989, and settled into retirement. Throughout her lifetime, she was an active member of the Jewish community through her participation in Hadassah and B’Nai B’rith Women. She also was a longtime volunteer at Meals on Wheels in McKeesport and she and her husband were recognized in 2010 for contributing more than 5,000 hours each as a volunteer at McKeesport Hospital. She was preceded in death by her mother, her father and step-mother, her husband of 62 years, Bill Keller, and her beloved son, Rick Keller. Isa had a passion for reading. In the short time that she lived in Ohio, she was recognized at the local library because she spent so much time there. She also loved history, cooking, the theater and listening to classical music and show tunes. When she had her home, she had a thriving vegetable garden. During their lifetime, she and Bill spent much time traveling the USA, including Alaska and Hawaii. One of her regrets was that she did not get a chance to see more of Europe. She leaves behind to continue her legacy, her sister, Davida Petrie, her daughter and son-in-law, Edie and Bob Kreider, her daughter-in-law, Deb Keller, her grandsons, Mike & Kate Kreider, Steve Kreider & Lisa Alexander, Jeff & Haley Kreider, and Jim & Tarrin Augustine, and her adored great-grandchildren, Mallory Kreider, and J.J.Augustine. She also leaves loving nieces and nephews, Barry and Farial, Linda and Dick, Lisa and Marco, and Alan and Tina, and great-nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, her family would like donations sent to either “The Consortium for Public Education” to support the scholarships that she and her husband set up for helping to further the education of today’s McKeesport students, or to her favorite charity, Smile Train. Donations can be mailed to McKeesport High School Alumni & Friends Association, PO Box 432, McKeesport, PA 15134, or made online for the Smile Train, at www.smiletrain.com. Online condolences may be sent to tobiasfuneralhome.com.
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