Joseph Francis “Joe” Keith, longtime Texas Baptist church musician and denominational worker, died Aug. 3 in Conroe. He was 83. He was born Feb. 1, 1941, to Paul and Winnie Keith in Longview. After graduating from McAllen High School, he attended the University of Corpus Christi, where he met his future wife Lynn. They married in 1962. He graduated in 1963 with a Bachelor of Music Education degree and then enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, where he earned his Master of Church Music degree in 1974. He served Baptist churches throughout Texas most of his life, beginning with playing the piano and organ for church services in Marfa as a young teen. In the 1960s, he spent summers leading youth revivals around Texas. While a student at the University of Corpus Christi, he led the music at First Baptist Church in Rockport. He later served churches in Kerens, Portland, Alvin, Houston and Huntsville in the areas of music, youth, education and administration. In 1987, he began working with the Church Information Services division of the Baptist Sunday School Board. Later, he transitioned to helping churches with their literature needs until he retired in 2007 after 20 years at what became Lifeway Christian Resources. He also served several churches around the Fort Worth and Houston areas as an interim music minister during these years. He sang with the Singing Men of Southeast Texas more than 30 years, played handbells with the RingForth handbell choir at The Woodlands First Baptist Church and was a member of the Southern Baptist Religious Education Association. He was preceded in death by his brother, Paul Keith Jr., and sister, Yvonne Pitts. He is survived by his wife Lynn; daughter Kathy Taylor and her husband Paul; son Alan Keith and his wife Linda; daughter Kay Campbell and her husband Jason; seven grandchildren: and three great-grandchildren. Memorial gifts may be made to The Woodlands First Baptist Church,Texans on Mission or Mission Dignity at GuideStone.
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