Jeffrey Kehler

Jeffrey Kehler passed away peacefully with his wife Colleen at his side while in Lexington Medical Center the evening of January 17, 2022. He was a graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, GA, and received his MBA from Grantham University in Lenexa, KS. He had a long and distinguished career in the captive insurance industry as both a businessman and teacher. 

To his family and friends, he was Jeff, a lover of cooking, dogs, cars, and the finer things in life. Not necessarily in that order. Jeff was always ready to greet you with a wave, smile, and drink, as well as a top off when you weren’t looking. Neighborhood friends considered Jeff the king of the neighborhood. Part of this was because his house was centered in the cul-de-sac he lived in, and on a slight incline and the front porch literally looked down on the street. But mostly, it was the times he spent on that front porch, always ready to offer a seat, and his full attention to whoever would stop by for a visit. He didn’t just make friends, he made new family members wherever he lived.  The only thing bigger than his laugh was his heart. 

Jeff had many sides, one was a handy man, from putting up ceiling fans, to replacing railings on the porch, to installing dimmer switches in the dining room. Another side, a car guy, he loved working on both his and his wife’s cars. In fact, he was the talk of the neighborhood when he decided to fix a broken fan in the dashboard of his beloved Mercedes by removing the dashboard itself as well as several pieces behind it. Neighbors stopped by to walk through the garage and view all the pieces he had lined up on the floor. Jeff was happy to answer questions and share his knowledge over any project he took on. 

Family was also important to him. He shared his love of cars with his brother Walt and spoke lovingly of his sisters Dianne and Bambi. While he had no children of his own, he adored his nieces and nephews. And to his credit he went on not one, but five cruises with his wife and both her mother and Stepfather.  

He was a gentleman to all who knew him, both personally and professionally and will be missed by family and friends alike. 

A memorial will be held at 2:00 pm Saturday, January 29 at Kornegay & Moseley, 4645 Hard Scrabble Road, Columbia SC 29229.

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