Barbara Jean Fowler Keel's Obituary
Barbara Jean (Fowler) Keel, age 74, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 13, 2025, at Christus/Good Shephard Hospital, surrounded by the love of her family. A Viewing and Funeral Service will be held at Rader Funeral Home in Longview, TX. She will be laid to rest at a later date at Sharon Memorial Park in Charlotte, NC.
Barbara was born in Charlotte, NC on April 18, 1951. She was the 2nd of 4 cherished daughters of William Neal Fowler and Betty Ruth Blanton Fowler. She was a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend whose unwavering faith and deep love shaped the hearts of everyone who knew her.
Barbara married her one and only love, William Herbert Keel, with whom she shared a beautiful life and two cherished children, Jason and Lisa. A dedicated homemaker, Barbara made it her mission to create a home filled with steadfast love, faith, and strength. She taught her children the importance of prayer, thankfulness, and respect — values that will continue to guide them throughout their lives.
Barbara was a loving sister to Peggy Diane Fowler Redding, Cathy Marie Fowler Reding, and Susan Elaine Fowler Earl. She was nurturing, selfless, and kind. She gave more than anyone thought possible and stood firm in her beliefs with honesty and grace. Her deep love for God was evident in every part of her life, and her presence was a source of grounding strength for her family.
She was truly an amazing human being — loving, caring, and unshakably honest. We are so incredibly fortunate that God saw fit to loan us Barbara — to be a wife, a mother, a friend, and an irreplaceable soul in our lives.
She was preceded in death by her mother Betty Ruth Blanton Fowler, her father William Neal Fowler, her brother-in-law Leslie Lambert Redding, and her older sister Peggy Diane Fowler Redding.
Barbara is survived by her husband, William Herbert Keel; son, Jason with his wife Rhonda; and by her daughter Lisa with her fiancé Michael.
Though we mourn her passing, we are endlessly grateful to carry her in our hearts and souls. Barbara now flies free with the angels and the loved ones who went before her. She is in God’s eternal grace. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice, in Barbara's name.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
— 2 Timothy 4:7
“And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
— Ecclesiastes 12:7
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