JOHN STEVEN KELLER

An advocate for the Pillsbury neighborhood

When the Springfield community experienced the passing of John Keller this year, we lost a committed and active voice for the Pillsbury neighborhood. John was the longtime president of the Pillsbury Neighborhood Association who had organized the association in the late 1990s. He led the efforts to find lasting solutions for the former Pillsbury Mills site for more than 20 years. He was an impressive character worth knowing.

John was deeply rooted in the Pillsbury neighborhood. He was born and raised there. He attended Bunn Elementary school (now Bunn Field) in the neighborhood. He graduated from Lanphier High School and lived the greater part of his adult life in the neighborhood. When his funeral procession wound its way through the neighborhood this past March, it was only fitting that the route passed his grandparents’ home, his boyhood home, his home and countless homes of his friends and neighbors. It also passed Bunn Field and the former Pillsbury Mills site. 

A significant part of what made John so effective as a community advocate was his engaging and charismatic personality. He could talk to anyone and make fast friendships. In his later years, it was easy to see and know that his primary agenda was always focused on helping his neighbors and improving his neighborhood. Rarely could he drive more than a few blocks in his old red Ford F-150 without stopping to talk to someone or lend a tool to a friend. John had been a commercial building contractor earlier in life and he had a garage full of tools. Lord only knows how many of his loaned tools are still in the neighborhood.

John worked to find solutions following the permanent closure of the former Pillsbury Mills site in 2001. He worked with several Springfield elected officials and other community leaders over the years. He spoke at countless Springfield City Council meetings while advocating for positive movement. Initially, he led the community conversation in 2005 on how to potentially reuse the site. A decade later, he led the charge to get the site cleaned up after former owners created an asbestos contaminated mess. And finally, he opened discussions and partnership with a working group in November of 2019 that would lead to the formation of Moving Pillsbury Forward and definitive solutions for the site.

When John died in late January, Moving Pillsbury Forward had advanced to the point where clean up and demolition of the former Pillsbury Mills site was imminent. The nonprofit group, of which John was an integral part, had raised nearly $10 million and contracts for the work to proceed were getting underway. The main thrust of his efforts for more than 20 years was coming to fruition. Lasting improvement was on the horizon. 

Since John’s death, the work of Moving Pillsbury Forward has progressed as anticipated. The buildings at the site have now been cleared of asbestos. Three buildings have been fully demolished. The remaining buildings are scheduled to be fully demolished in the next few months. Additionally, significant cleanup efforts throughout the neighborhood have taken place throughout the year and a sense of renewal has swept into the neighborhood. Much of this progress has taken place in recognition of the foundational efforts of John’s work over many years.

Reflecting on my time getting to know John in the last several years of his life, I was always impressed with just how comfortable he was with who he was. His authenticity and gritty tenacity were to be admired. He always enjoyed interacting with people in the neighborhood and sharing whatever resources he had. His truck, and the tools he brought with him, were always a welcome site on the neighborhood clean-up days.

Somewhere along life’s path, John had taken hold of a community-centered outlook for his life. He shared his time, tools and talent nearly every day in the Pillsbury neighborhood. Despite health challenges, he pushed ahead with positive energy and stayed informed and engaged in neighborhood projects to the end.  He was truly an extraordinary character.

Thank you, John!

Chris Richmond retired as the city of Springfield fire marshal in 2019 and, in that capacity, coordinated the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emergency environmental clean-up activities at the former Pillsbury Mills site in 2017. He now serves as the president of the nonprofit Moving Pillsbury Forward and worked closely with John over the last few years. 

This article appears in January 1-7, 2026.