TOP CHARACTER STRENGTHS

KINDNESS - BRAVERY - PERSEVERANCE

Keith enlisted in the Army immediately after high school graduation. Once he completed Basic Training and AIT, he was awarded the MOS 92A, an Automated Logistics Specialist. He served in a variety of positions ranging from Squad Leader to Company Commander and served three overseas assignments. His deployments include Bosnia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq, earning him his highest medal, a Bronze Star. In 2001, he married Yetta Stewart (McFadden) and the following year they welcomed a son, Trenton. In 2005, Keith graduated from Methodist College Cum Laude with a BS in Finance Economics and received his Commission as a Finance Officer. That same year he welcomed his daughter, Lauryn. On August 20, 2015, he passed away due to a battle with mental health issues. One of Keith's greatest joys was being a father, so he tried to spend as much time as he could with his kids. In his spare time he enjoyed playing chess, golfing, watching old movies and working out.

Character Strength Stories:
Bravery- Keith is the oldest grandson and a lot came with that title. He took a leap of faith when he knew college was not in his plans right after high school, so he did the next best thing and joined the Army at the age of 18. He could have been out in the streets running wild with his friends, instead making the brave choice to go against the norm of his community and not give into peer pressure.

Kindness- There was never anything Keith wouldn't do for anyone. If there was a friend who was in need, Keith would go out of his way and assist them in any way that he could. He was always willing to lend an ear if you wanted to talk or, if you were feeling down, he would try to cheer you up by singing you a song (off-key or as close to the note as possible) or by telling you a funny childhood story.

Perseverance- When Keith realized that his hopes of going to college were shot due to his sister flunking out, he decided that his only option was to join the Army, despite what anyone thought. A lot of his superiors saw his potential so they started putting him in leadership roles because they knew he would excel (which he did) and he started moving up the ranks. After serving five years, he started taking night classes and in 2003 he submitted a packet to become a commissioned officer. After two years of college he was commissioned to 2nd LT and that is when his career took off. One amazing thing about Keith was that if he set his mind to it then he would not stop until he met his goal. He was like that when it came to his career, working out, being a father, and a husband.

-Submitted by Yetta, Surviving Wife