Out of the blue at 5 pm on Friday 3/18, 2022, I received a Facebook post about the “Graduation Party Celebration for Rev. Keith A. Gorley.” At first, I thought it was an announcement related to his autobiography which had been accepted for publication earlier last year. But NO! It was instead the announcement of celebrating Keith’s life. Keith had died on 2/25/22 from cancer.
I was DEVASTATED! HOW COULD THIS BE? OUR DEAR FRIEND KEITH?! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?! WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?! I yelled out loud, frightening our rescue Bella who had never heard Mommy’s gut-wrenching cry before.
I was finally able to read the wonderful story of Keith’s life written by his children Karmay and Jason. But the tears remained STUCK, while the stomach churned! I just let myself grieve all night, and for the next several days, going back and forth from the shock of disbelief to the absolute pain of loss and finally to the sweet remembrances of a life intertwined with mine for the past 22 years.
My memories drifted back to when Keith and I had met in middle age at the Interfaith Theological Seminary of Tucson, along with 7 other students from Tucson and from across the country, in August 2000. This began the arduous journey for the next two years of us all being in the Seminary together.
Along with this, several of us, including Keith and myself, also pursued our Masters in Theology at the same time through Prescott College, Tucson campus. All in the midst of working too! (Keith worked as a probation officer. I was a social worker in Hospice).
It was so good having small classes for support, challenge, humor, and being pushed out of our comfort zones and with instructors from a variety of backgrounds, experience, expertise, and knowledge, along with doing our practicums in a variety of settings. We were an INDEPENDENT bunch, calling ourselves The Gandhi’s!
Our class was ordained together in a touching ceremony that we helped plan at Picture Rocks Retreat Center on April 6, 2002.
Keith continued as a probation officer while at the same time pursuing spiritual interests and his form of ministry. He also became an AVID Tango dancer in these years! (I started my career as a Hospice chaplain).
Donn, my then-fiance, and Keith also had many parallels in their lives. Both had grown up back East and both had served in the United States Air Force, in addition to lived experiences as African American men. Don and I wanted Keith in our wedding! And so in his magnificent purple robe and matching hat, Keith read eloquently from Kahlil Gibran’s “The Prophet” on Marriage, one of our favorite readings.
Keith stayed with us at times in the following years when he was flying out of Phoenix. On one such visit, he was on the phone frequently with his new lady love. The next year, Keith asked me to perform the marriage ceremony for Karen, his “lady love,” and him in Flagstaff. (He told me he had waited a long time for Karen). Keith made all the wedding arrangements, including writing the ceremony. Below is a brief excerpt from this ceremony:
“Family and friends, we stand here as witnesses to the outer unification of Karen and Keith. Spiritually, they have always been one in the One Life… It was love that brought Karen and Keith together, and it is love that will sustain their union. In the presence of the One Life, Karen and Keith have been joined together. And so, it is.”
In the past few years, Keith worked avidly on his autobiography, The Life Side of Life.” It is to be published In the coming months. (You beat me to it, Keith, getting your book done! So PROUD OF YOU)
Never could we have imagined that Keith would be gone so early from this life.
KEITH, WE LOVE YOU, WE MISS YOU BEYOND WORDS, AND KNOW WE WILL SEE YOU AGAIN!
TILL THEN, May God’s peace be with you and all who love you!
-Carolyn and Donn
Rev. Keith A. Gorley
Keith in our wedding (far right)
Our graduating Seminary class April 6, 2002. Keith 2nd from right, top row. Carolyn 2nd of right, first row.
Keith’s Graduation Party 3/26/22 Tucson, AZ
