The coastal engineering community lost a talented engineer, expert on coastal processes, committed COPRI member, and philanthropist last month when John Philip Keillor, P.E., M.ASCE, (known as Phil) passed away. According to the obituary published in the Wisconsin State Journal, Keillor, 71, died Feb. 27 from injuries sustained during an ice skating fall Feb. 15 at a Madison, Wis. lake.
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| Photo courtesy of the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute |
Although he retired from the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant in 2003, Keillor remained active in the coastal engineering community – advising his successor, serving on the board of the Great Lakes Observing System, and staying active in coastal climate change issues. In 2004, he was presented with the William Q. Wick Visionary Career Leadership Award. Presented during the Assembly of Sea Grant Extension Program Leaders in April 2004 on Jekyll Island, the award recognizes achievements and contributions to Sea Grant Extension programming or administration by an outstanding recently or nearly retired individual. His coastal engineering works published by ASCE include several conference proceedings and an article in the Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering. His ASCE-published works addressed optimization of mechanical dredging operations for sediment remediation, construction near Wisconsin's Lake Michigan shoreline, and evaluating coastal property.
During his three decades with Wisconsin Sea Grant, Keillor earned a national reputation for the technical assistance, guidance, and educational services he provided to coastal communities along Wisconsin’s shores, throughout the Great Lakes, and beyond. Along the way, he deeply impressed colleagues and coworkers with his competence, his integrity, and his respect for everyone he encountered, on the job and off.
Keillor was the only Sea Grant coastal engineer in the Great Lakes states during his career, and one of very few such specialists in the nation. If you struggled with any of the challenges that arise from living or working along the coast, Phil was ready to help. Over the years, his work protected coastal infrastructure from the onslaughts of howling winds, pounding waves, eroding sand and soil, and collapsing bluffs. Yet he also helped protect many miles of natural Great Lakes shoreline from the relentless pressures of development. Phil warned swimmers about rip currents when few people realized they exist in the Great Lakes. He helped communities and government agencies wrestle with the technical and economic challenges of dredging harbors and cleaning up their contaminated sediments.
But Phil brought far more than wide-ranging knowledge and competence to his work. As many city and county planners, other government officials, and home and business owners have attested, he approached every problem, every project, every phone call with remarkable thoughtfulness and care. His research was always thorough, his advice was always well-reasoned, his commitment unfailingly complete.“Phil provided Great Lakes property owners and coastal communities with Great Lakes coastal process information, erosion control guidance and shoreline community best management practices,” said COPRI member Gene Clark, Phil’s successor as coastal engineering specialist at Wisconsin Sea Grant. “He conducted numerous coastal engineering and maintenance dredging workshops for hundreds of Great Lakes practicing engineers and scientists. He also authored many manuals and fact sheets all related to Great Lakes coastal engineering issues.”
Clark said Keillor was able to understand the concerns of individuals and coastal communities and could explain coastal engineering issues in a way that anyone could understand. “He didn’t just teach, or preach, he instilled a true understanding, ” he said.
Clark will remember Keillor for his knowledge and ability to remember details from conversations and coastal site visits many years past, being insightful and mild mannered and the ability to leave [a confrontational situation] with everyone feeling they had been heard and all issues.
As Keillor's successor, Clark said he was honored by the opportunity and soon found he had big shoes to fill.
"After 5 years, I think I am probably about 10% of the way to filling one of them! For over 20 years Phil was a great friend and perfect mentor to me,” Clark said. “He would eagerly share his experiences and ideas, but only when I asked. Whenever I would have ideas for future work plan directions, Phil would always volunteer his thoughts and suggestions by relating what worked for him. He also recognized our coastal engineering professional experience differences and suggest ways I could accomplish tasks that he would have difficulties with.”
Finally, Clark said, Phil always sought advice from others by surrounding himself with good counsel from other experienced coastal engineers. He would toss out ideas to other experts and listen intently to their comments and suggestions. Keillor did just that earlier this year when he took the time to read and comment on COPRI’s Coastal Solutions Blog.
Spencer Rogers, coastal construction and erosion specialist with North Carolina Sea Grant, said Keillor was passionate about coastal engineering. “He gave one heck of a field trip,” Rogers said. “ I remember going on a very interesting, very thorough tour of Wisconsin coastal sites with him years ago. He obviously knew the sites well, what was working and what wasn’t. Phil was a true professional.”
As an engineer, Keillor will be remembered for his concern for landowners’ safety when building a home, said Alan Lulloff, science services program manager for the Association of State Floodplain Managers. He said Keillor felt it was important to make people aware of coastal hazards such as lakebed down-cutting. In addition to his professional leadership, Lulloff said, Keillor will always be remembered for his calm demeanor, intellect and story-telling ability. Another University of Wisconsin colleague, Professor Al Wortley described Keillor as always well-prepared for any challenge and possessing a dry wit.
Lulloff said one of his fondest memories of working with Keillor was participating in a 2001 meeting between the Wisconsin Coastal Hazards Work Group and riparian landowners of Ozaukee County to discuss coastal erosion hazards and setbacks from unstable eroding bluffs. Keillor and Lolloff had expected low attendance but were surprised to face a crowd of more than 100.
“When we walked into the meeting room to an overflow crowd of concerned landowners, I remember thinking there is no one I would rather have at my side at this moment than Phil Keillor. He was very adept at listening to people’s concerns and providing them with information on bluff stabilization that they could understand and suggestions regarding where they could get additional information.”
COPRI Ports and Harbors Committee member Fred Klancnik said that, although he never worked directly with Keillor on a coastal engineering project, he did administer grants on projects he was designing. Klancnik noted Keillor had a sense of humor that was wonderful and, “similar but different” than his celebrity brother Garrison.
"He was a joy to be around at waterfront conferences such as the University of Wisconsin's Docks & Marinas Annual Course and Conference," Klancnik said.
Not only was Keillor a great colleague, Lulloff said, he was a great sailing instructor as well.
"In short order, he had me manning the tiller," he said.
These sentiments were echoed by University of Wisconsin Professor Tuncer Edil who noted Keillor’s discipline, knowledge, dedication and friendship. Edil said his fondest memories of working with Keillor included traveling to coastal areas, working on manuscripts and engaging in technical discussions. He said Keillor was tireless in his outreach activities to help citizens and riparian governmental units, as well as possessing a keen understanding of coastal erosion processes in the Great Lakes and how to protect against coastal recession.
Not only was Keillor known in the coastal engineering community, but also in the community at large. In the mid 1980s, after a harsh winter, where several men died of hypothermia, he pushed for development of a homeless shelter in Madison. Those efforts resulted in the creation of Pochlight, Inc. Keillor served on the service provider’s board for more than 20 years.
The oldest of five, Keillor is survived by his wife of 49 years, Ann-Britt and his three children. Among his surviving siblings is his younger brother Garrison Keillor, host of A Prairie Home Companion. Originally from Enoka, Minnesota, Keillor earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. He earned a Master's Degree in ocean engineering in 1973 from the University of Wisconsin, making him Wisconsin's first coastal engineer. He remained in Madison to work for the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant.
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| Photo courtesy of the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute |
