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Kraig Scott Keeney was born November 10, 1962 in Walla Walla, Washington to Bob and Jan Keeney. During his formative years, Kraig resided in several places on the West Coast, including Walla Walla, the Oregon towns of La Grande, Baker, and Portland, and both Loma Linda and Grand Terrace, California. He was charismatic, funny, and had an infectious smile. He enjoyed entertaining family and friends, on whom he often bestowed silly nicknames, with stories and impressions. A friend described Kraig as “the kind of guy you meet and become best friends in ten minutes.”Kraig was an accomplished carpenter and construction superintendent, often working side by side with his father, Bob, and grandfather, Ray, on construction projects under Ray and Bob’s development firm, Keeney & Son. He also enjoyed a brief foray into Hollywood, as part of the security team on television and movie sets at Paramount Studios including Cheers, The Arsenio Hall Show, and the feature film All I Want for Christmas.
Kraig was a lover of all kinds of sports and a naturally gifted athlete. He most enjoyed snow and water skiing, dirt bike (motorcycle) riding, golf, and football. In 1979, his junior year, Kraig set a rushing record of over 1,700 yards as a runningback on the Colton High School Yellowjackets football team. True to his bloodline, Kraig loved to fly, and had worked towards his private pilot’s license, an accomplishment he would have shared with his father, stepmother, paternal grandparents and many other airborne Keeneys.
Kraig is preceded in death by his mother, Janice (Knight) Griffone. He leaves behind two children, Amber Rose Keeney of Pacifica, California and Robert Scott Keeney (Walkingstick) of De Ridder, Louisiana. He is also survived by two brothers, Cary Keeney of Pocatello, Idaho and Jeffrey Keeney of Arlington, Washington, one sister, Heather Keeney Hurst of Riverside, California, his father Robert Eldon and stepmother, Candice Keeney of Riverside, grandfather, Ray Keeney of Loma Linda, California and numerous other family members.