Lifelong resident Gay Keil worked to preserve local history with Landmarks

Lifelong Tiburon Peninsula resident Gay Keil, whose passion for preserving local and state history included a decade-long stint on the board of the Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society, died of natural causes July 13 at her home in Tiburon. She was 84.

Keil joined the Landmarks Society, which works to preserve Tiburon’s Old St. Hilary’s Landmark, Railroad & Ferry Depot Museum and Art & Garden Center, along with Belvedere’s China Cabin, as an associate board member in 1979. She was elevated to the executive board in 1985, serving first as board secretary before taking a turn as president from 1987 to 1991. She then worked as an office manager with the organization from 1991 to 2006 and was recognized as an honorary member of the society up to her death.

Since 1996, Keil was also a member of the Society of California Pioneers, a San Francisco-based organization established in 1850 to preserve California art, history and culture. She served as the Marin chapter vice president and on the organization’s board of directors. Membership in the society requires being a direct descent of an ancestor who arrived in California before Jan. 1, 1850; Keil qualified through David Keil, who arrived from Germany in 1848.

Jack Fiorito, who served on the Landmarks Society board with Keil, said she loved the gig.

“To be on the board was a real chore and to show up for all those meetings over the years, it’s tough to get people to do that, and she did,” Fiorito said. “She was always at the board meetings and stayed late. She was a backbone of the board.”

Just as important was her impact as office manager for the organization, Landmarks board President Phil Cassou said. In that role, he said, she was competent, organized and kept board members on their toes. She was a force in the office, he said.

“She had a very strong voice, so you could hear her coming down the walkway,” Cassou said.

Gabrielle D. Keil was born Jan. 20, 1940, in San Francisco to Russell David Keil, who worked in commercial property management, and Bernidet Millerick Keil, who was a social worker before getting married. She had a sister, Molly, and a brother, Russell Jr.

Besides a short stint in Hawaii, she spent most of her life on Paradise Drive in Keil Cove, named after her family. She moved to Mallard Pointe in Belvedere two years before she died.

Keil attended Dominican Convent School, now named San Domenico School in San Anselmo, graduating in 1957. She studied at Gonzaga University but did not earn a degree. Moving back to the peninsula, she worked for a short time as the head of patient admitting at the Children’s Hospital in San Francisco.

However, much of her life revolved around her philanthropic efforts, said niece Bernidet Celia, who noted she gave both her money and her time.

“With her philanthropy, she really made every person around really feel special,” Celia said.

Mercedes Devine, the executive director of the Society of California Pioneers, called Keil “devoted and generous,” adding that she was particularly passionate about helping maintain the organization’s collections. Keil funded several projects for the organization’s Alice Phelan Sullivan Research Library, which houses historic California archives. That included purchasing archival storage materials and underwriting staff time to rehouse collections to be used by future researchers, making sources easier to find both online and on shelves.

Keil also helped the society with two moves within the span of 10 years, supporting their transition out of and eventually back to the Presidio of San Francisco.

Keil, who never married, was known for being a devoted aunt and great-aunt to her five nieces and nephews and 10 great-nieces and nephews, all of whom live in Tiburon, Celia said.

She noted she would watch “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune” regularly with Keil, who knew every answer.

“I remember as a child, she to me was the smartest person in the world,” Celia said.

Another niece, Brei Tobin, said she thought Keil should compete on the game shows because she was quick minded and clever and was always able to guess answers before contestants on the shows.

Keil attended St. Hilary’s Catholic Church and was known for frequenting the local coffee shops, such as Caffe Acri and Rustic Bakery, and striking up conversations with locals and tourists alike.

Keil was preceded in death by her parents and a nephew, William Hynes. She is survived by her sister, Molly Hynes, and her brother, Russell Keil Jr.; sister-in-law Julia B. Keil; nieces Maggie Keil, Brei Tobin and Bernidet Celia and nephew Russell D. Keil III; and 10 great-nieces and nephews.

A memorial service is set for 1:30 p.m. Aug. 8 at St. Hilary’s, with a reception to follow in the church’s Tarantino Hall. Donations can be made to San Domenico School, Attn: Advancement Office, 1500 Butterfield Road, San Anselmo, CA, 94960.

Reach Naomi Friedland at 415-944-4627.

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