Keith Blackmore, 75 of Forreston died peacefully in his sleep on July 21, 2015 from neuro-endocrine cancer.
He was born January 30, 1940 at home in El Paso, Illinois to parents Emmett and Elva (Wilkey) Blackmore. Keith grew up in El Paso and graduated there from high school in 1958. He earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in zoology from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. Keith also studied at Colorado State University, the University of Minnesota's Lake Itasca Field station and Western Illinois University.
In 1961 Keith married June Lloyd. They had two sons, Robert and Kevin. They divorced in 1985. In 1988 Keith married Mary Stevens.
Keith taught high school biology at Forreston from 1962 through the spring of 1969. He began teaching at Highland Community College in the fall of 1969 and continued there until his retirement in the spring of 2006. He taught a wide variety of different subjects, but his specialties were general biology, ecology and field ornithology.
Following retirement Keith began his consulting business, "Blackmore In Nature", primarily doing work for the Severson Dells Nature Center.
Keith's greatest joys were connecting people to the wonders and complexities of our natural world and instilling in those individuals the necessity of protecting and defending our fellow members of the biotic community. He loved being a teacher and a volunteer and cherished the friendships he made with the people he worked with. The lives that he touched cannot be counted. Keith enjoyed hiking, birdwatching, restoring prairies, visiting parks and preserves, identifying plants and insects, growing irises and following the New York Yankees.
Keith volunteered for and served on the boards of many local and regional environmental and conservation organizations including the Northwest Illinois Audubon Society, Jane Addamsland Park Foundation, Prairie Preservation Society of Ogle County, Natural Land Institute, Audubon Council of Illinois and the Ogle County Soil and Water Conservation District.
Surviving are his wife, Mary of Forreston, sons Robert of Shannon and Kevin (Mary) of Madison, Wisconsin, grandchildren Kiza (Heather) of Pearl City, Nia of Shannon, Cedric and Morgan of Madison, sister Norma Partner of El Paso, IL, sisters-in-law Joan Blackmore, of El Paso, IL and Hazel Blackmore of East Peoria, father-in-law Richard Stevens (Jean Beyer) of Sun City, AZ, sister-in-law Diane Stevens of Bedford, Texas, brother-in-law Frank Stevens (Marina Ovrutsky) of St. Johns, FL and many nieces and nephews, cousins and close friends.
Keith was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Harold, Dean, Lowell and Roger, brother-in-law Lloyd Partner, mother-in-law Lois Stevens, daughter-in-law Susan Blackmore and many aunts and uncles.
Cremation rites have been accorded. A graveside service will be held at Evergreen Cemetery in El Paso, Illinois at Evergreen Cemetery at 11am on Sunday, July 28th. A gathering of Remembrance will take place at the Student Conference Center at Highland Community College in Freeport on Saturday, August 15th from 2-3pm with a time of fellowship to follow.

In lieu of flowers a memorial fund has been established for the organizations Keith volunteered for.
Keith's family wishes to thank the staff of FHN Hospice, Teresa at Comfort Keepers and Dr. Michael Muise and staff of the Monroe Clinic for their kind and compassionate care during Keith's final weeks.