Greg Keller before his passing was a leader, friend, teacher and a valued member of the Lincoln community. Many people, not only at Lincoln High School, but across the entire Lincoln community and beyond had the honor of knowing Keller, and his passing has certainly touched many. It is crucial that we honor and recognize this man for all he did for us.
Keller touched many in his 32-year career as an educator, much of which was spent here at Lincoln High School, and for that we are proud. In his time here at LHS he taught English, English Language Learners, Oral Communication, Journalism, Photojournalism, Broadcast Journalism and Publications (Newspaper and Yearbook). He was also a sponsor for several clubs and extracurriculars at LHS. Keller not only worked here at LHS, but also spent time educating at Pius X High School and as a professor at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln.
Previously, we covered how Keller was awarded the well deserved JEA Lifetime Achievement award for his contributions as a journalism educator and excellence in his community.
In his 30 years of involvement with The Advocate, he contributed a great deal. Keller was the photography advisor from 1990 until 1995. He then became the official advisor and remained until his retirement in 2020. But even during his retirement in recent years, he gave us support and inspired all of us to keep this paper going, urging Will West, The Advocate’s current advisor, to reignite it.
Keller also established a well known and cherished part of Lincoln High’s tradition: LinksLive!. This tradition lives on at Lincoln high as KLHS Live at Nine.
I spoke with a variety of members of our community: Emily Martinez, Christopher Maly, Delani Young and Sydney Jensen. They were kind enough to allow me to interview them about their time with Keller.
Emily Martinez, an English teacher here at Lincoln High was a co-worker, student, and friend of Keller. She talked about what kind of teacher he was and why it mattered. She described him as a man who had high standards and expressed great sincerely and genuine care for his students and their potential. That sincerity was shared with every person he met. Martinez recalled how as her teacher, “He never gave up on on me,” or anyone else in his classroom. He paid attention to his students and did what was best for them, even if it challenged the rules or the district; whatever it took to support the students. Not only was he a great teacher, he was also a friend and was described to have had a “fatherly presence.” When asked what their relationship meant to her, Martinez said that Keller was another positive male figure in her life. “Keller was a brave and uplifting voice for minorities,” Martinez said.
Keller was a mentor to many and some of his other friends and co-workers spoke of similar sentiments.
English teacher Christopher Maly described him as a passionate and intellectual man. And while Keller was a mentor to Maly, Keller lived as a lifelong student. Keller’s approach to teaching was that “the student should be able to teach the teacher by the end of the semester.” Maly wanted to show that Keller was “fiercely loyal to his family” and that he always put those around him first by advocating for them, even when it went against the grain. Keller was a fascinating man who stood out in a room and left a lasting positive impression on everyone he interacted with.
Delani Young, a LHS alumni who was a part of KLHS from the start shared how welcoming Keller was in his classroom. He was the kind of teacher that gave you a space to be in when you needed it and never made anyone feel unwanted in his classroom.
English teacher Sydney Jensen was another friend and co-worker of Keller. Jensen and Keller shared deep conversations and expressed upmost sincerity to each other as they navigated life. Keller was someone Jensen could always turn to when she was stressed or upset about current events. Keller brought great comfort to others as Jensen described how Keller “made meaning out of the most overwhelming of circumstances.” Jensen reiterated that Keller was a man who was dedicated to a strong ethical and moral foundation and was always willing to sacrifice self in favor of what is the right thing to do. Greg was “a teachers teacher,” meaning he always stood up for his fellow teachers and staff.
While creating this story I have learned a lot about who Keller was and reflected on the little time I got to spend with him. If I have learned anything from him, it would be that he wouldn’t want us to settle for anything in this world, and to continue to try to work to make the world a better place. He inspired others to, as he would say, “hold that line,” and to honor ourselves and persevere. He pushed those around him towards greatness. He was an advocate for diversity, excellence, and honorable journalistic values. Keller is an incredible example of Lincoln High’s greatest values.
Greg Keller will be missed however his legacy will never be forgotten. Our thoughts are with his family and those whose lives he touched.
