Obituary of Roger Norris Keeler

Roger Norris Keeler, 90, died on October 27, 2020 at Hunters Woods at Trails Edge in Reston, VA after a series of strokes.

He was born in Houston, Texas in 1930, graduating from Houston’s Rice University in 1952. He enlisted in the Navy, serving as an officer aboard the USS TUNNY and the USS CARBONERO. Upon his release from active duty as a Captain in 1957, he earned an MS from the University of Colorado and a Ph. D from the University of California (Berkeley) in Chemical Engineering.

He joined the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in 1963, where he essentially taught himself physics. Physics became his avocation as well as his vocation for the rest of his life. He served as Head of the Physics Department at Livermore from 1972-1975. He was appointed the Director of Navy Technology at the DOD from 1975-1977 and returned back to Livermore in 1978.

He formed his own consulting company in 1980. In 1987, he became Principal Scientific Advisor and then Director of Technical Marketing at Kaman Corporation. Upon his retirement from Kaman in 2000, he joined Directed Technologies in Arlington, VA. He finally retired for the last time in 2005.

His research interests and areas of expertise were broad, including non-acoustic ASW, geophysics, remote imaging sensors, optical oceanography, and advanced high pressure materials. He held patents in the area of airborne lidar, non-acoustic ASW and laser communications.  He invented the “Magic Lantern” mine detection system, which was successfully deployed in the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm. He performed the analysis used to plan the “Yankee Blue” laser-submarine communications experiment fielded in 1987. He also directed the Navy non-acoustic ASW panel which produced the “Keeler Report,” which remained the Bible of Non-Acoustic ASW for many years. He was the President of AIRAPT (International Association for the Advancement of High Pressure Science and Technology) from 1985-1989. AIRAPT was one of the first organizations that brought together Western and Soviet physicists in the years of glasnost and perestroika.

He is survived by his wife, Miriam Keeler; his four children from a previous marriage, Catherine Keeler, John Keeler, David Keeler and Carolyn Keeler; and three grandchildren, Riley and Logan Keeler and Ian Moore. He will be buried with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery on April 1, 2021 at 3:00 PM.