Robert "Gramps" Keyes, a long-time employee of the College, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, Oct. 6. The circumstances of the death are not yet entirely known. Keyes was mowing his lawn that afternoon when the lawn mower flipped over on an incline and trapped him. When police responded to the accident, they could not find a pulse and called for an emergency helicopter, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette. Keyes was brought to the Cooley Dickinson Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Whether Keyes had a heart attack or the mower malfunctioned are under investigation.

Gramps started working at Amherst College in 1976 as a security officer. He retired in 1993 and shortly thereafter got a job at Dining Services. Most recently, he worked as a checker at Valentine.

Keyes' coworkers had wonderful things to say about him. "The first thing I think about when I think about Bob is that he was a powerhouse of a man," said Assistant Chief of Campus Police Ed Zaniewski, who worked with Keyes at Campus Police for 15 years. Zaniewski said that Keyes was an interesting fellow who was not afraid to speak his mind and always acted like a gentlemen towards his fellow officers.

He also said that the students kept Keyes young. Keyes was an honorary member of the DKE fraternity in the 1980s-if there was ever a noise complaint, Keyes would go to the DKE house and remain there for the duration of the party to ensure that it remained quiet.

"Gramps was fun to work with and a nice person. We will really miss him because of all the jokes he cracks," said Zaweeda Sahabdeen, another checker at Valentine. According to Sahabdeen, Gramps loved all the students and knew many of them by name.

Charlie Thompson, the director of dining services says that the checkers are the "ambassadors of good will of the department," that they "can either help make a student's day or not." According to Thompson, Keyes made every student's day- if there were two checkers on duty, students would migrate toward him. Thompson said that working with Keyes was always interesting: he had a lot of one-liners, and the best part was watching him interact with the students. Thompson also said that Keyes was a reliable employee who was always on time and always willing to fill in for others.

Students also praised Keyes. Aparna Nancherla '05E said that every time she saw him he would greet her with a smile. "He was always in a good mood, always made you feel good," she said. "He has had a really positive influence on our small community." Nancherla said she associates him with her experience here and that she is sure many students will miss him.

A number of students wrote about Keyes in a forum on The Daily Jolt. They expressed their sadness at his death, and many noted that he was their favorite checker and suggested a memorial be created in his name. On the forum, many agreed that while he pretended to be grumpy when students forgot their ID cards, he was really a very kind and friendly man. All agreed he will be missed.

A memorial service will be held for Keyes on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Johnson Chapel.

A letter from the Keyes family to the College community

The family of Robert "Gramps" Keyes would like to express their appreciation for the kindness and support of the Amherst College Family at this difficult time. "Gramps" loved the time spent working at the College and since retirement from his position in security, often teased that "Mother paid the College to get him out of her hair." "Gramps" brought home many stories of his interactions with the students and staff and we could tell that he thoroughly enjoyed you all.

The lowering of the flag to half staff on Johnson Chapel and the memoriam on the College Web site are a great honor to his memory. Thank you all.

Sincerely,

The Keyes Family