Raymond Keith Horton passed away Friday, July 16, 2010, in Jacksonville, Florida, at the age of 91. He was born December 13, 1918 in Red Oak, Iowa, son of Raymond and Grace (Hydeman) Horton. Keith spent most of his childhood in Sibley, Iowa, and graduated from Iowa State University in 1939 with a degree in Engineering. He began working at TWA in 1939, spent two years in the Navy during WWII, and returned to TWA, retiring in 1983. Keith married Elizabeth "Liz" Marshall Horton, of Ottawa, Kansas, on July 10, 1944.They made their home in Prairie Village, Kansas, where they raised two daughters, Suzanne and Anne. Keith and Liz were active at Village Presbyterian Church, where he sang in the choir for many years. He and Liz traveled through New England and Europe, and he enjoyed woodworking and photography in his spare time. In 2001, Keith and Liz moved to Topeka, where they lived at Aldersgate Village. In 2009, Keith moved to Jacksonville, Florida, to the home of his daughter, Suzanne. Keith was preceded in death by his wife, Liz, who died at Topeka in 2005; his parents, Ray and Grace Horton, of Sibley, Iowa; and his sisters, Helen Horton Carroll (Tom) and Kay Horton Slotterback, also of Sibley. He is survived by two daughters, Suzanne Lott, and her husband, Douglas, of Jacksonville, Florida, and Anne Pettavel, and her husband Paul, of Topeka, Kansas, and grandchildren Beth Lott, and Andrew and Stephen Pettavel, as well as numerous nieces and nephews as well as his Brother; W. Floyd Horton, Green Valley, Arizona. A service for the family will be held at 11 a.m., at Oak Hill Cemetery, in Lawrence, Kansas, on Friday, July 23, in celebration of Keith's life. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Aldersgate Village Good Samaritan Fund, 7220 SW Asbury Drive, Topeka KS 66614, or to the American Diabetes Association Research Foundation , 1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311. To leave a special message for the family online, visit www.PenwellGabelTopeka.com.
Published in Kansas City Star on July 21, 2010