Obituary of Dr. John Putnam Keils

Dr. John Putman Keils was born on October 1, 1952, to the late Donald and Margaret Keils in Jackson, Michigan. John is now reunited in death with his brother Steve and his sister Peggy. He leaves behind his beloved sister Susan Devereux and niece Liz Devereux, as well as cousins Lucinda, Nancy, and Mary Keils. John was raised in Port Huron, Michigan and spent a great deal of time at his family cottage on Harsen’s Island. This sparked his deep love for the water. John loved to be on the water – at the beach, boating, wind surfing, swimming, and scuba diving.

 Out of high school John served his country for 4 years in the United States Coast Guard where he got to lead a ship, spend time on the water and travel. John was a naturopath at heart and loved chiropractic medicine. In 1986 he graduated from the prestigious Palmer College of Chiropractic. He was licensed in Colorado, Massachusetts, and Michigan. In 1991 his dream came true when he purchased his own practice, Downtown Chiropractic. Dr. “Feel Good” Keils loved his patients. He was passionate about chiropractic and healed so many friends, family, and members of the community. He kept his own chiropractic table at home and was always checking in to make sure the family and his friends didn’t need a “tune up,” or checking if they had any “popcorn.”  He practiced 29 successful, happy years until his retirement in 2020.

John leaves behind the love of his life, Joann Keils. They were married on July 10^th, 1993, in a small stone church at his second home, Harsen’s Island. John and Joann were able purchase their own cottage on Harsen’s Island shortly after they were married. Up until the very end, this was his most special retreat.

John and Joann were blessed with 2 children, John Connor Keils, and Casey (Zach) Raisch. He was so delighted to be here for the arrival of his first grandchild Griffin Raisch this past summer. John loved his children and grandchild deeply. He would have done anything for them. He was always there for them at the drop of a hat and made a point to attend all their life events. He was a caring and doting father, always ensuring their cars were washed and gas tanks were full. His daughter Casey remembers him always making sure their lights were on and their beds were turned down for them when they came home late. She remembers his “day gifts” that he liked to get for her and her brother Connor. John cherished quality time with his family, going out to dinner and catching up on everyone’s lives. Casey recalls a fond memory of them racing him down I-69 while taking Connor his Mustang. John valued spending time with his family.

John precedes his adored yellow lab, Nugget. Nugget loved long walks, trips to the cottage in Harsen’s Island, and snuggles at home with his best friend. Nugget misses him dearly.

We will all spend the rest of our lives missing John, his sense of humor, and his caring presence. He is survived by sister in loves, nieces, and nephews who will miss his hospitality at Thanksgiving gatherings and his kind, welcoming smile; asking “How’s Susie?” always genuinely interested in all our life’s happenings. There will always be an empty chair at our family table on holidays that belonged to our favorite scorekeeper for all our favorite card games.

John completed this life’s journey on December 13, 2023, at the age of 71. Per, John’s wishes, a celebration of life will take place with close friends and loved ones at John’s special haven on Harsen’s Island at his beloved cottage in the summer of 2024.