Plan for the Future
Chester M. “Mickey” Keller, passed away on August 13, 2024, in Hillsborough, NC. He was 70 years old.
Born and raised in Jersey City, he lived many years in New Providence, where he enjoyed regularly attending mass at Our Lady of Peace. He graduated high school from St. Peter’s Preparatory School and received his undergraduate degree from St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, where he played on the tennis team. He later received a master’s degree from Seton Hall University in West Orange and his Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA.
Mickey was a dedicated Federal Public Defender and worked in the federal courthouse in Newark from 1985 through 2021. Additionally, he was an Adjunct Professor at Seton Hall Law School, teaching a class focused on Appellate Advocacy. He loved his work and the colleagues/friends he made through it, and truly believed in devotion to equal justice under the law and everyone’s right to counsel under the constitution.
He had a lifelong interest in running and completed more than 20 marathons. When not running, he would spend time with his sons playing basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, golf, and football, eating, and travelling. He was a devoted fan of the Yankees, Giants, and Nets and the College of Charleston, Penn State University, and the University of Michigan because of his sons. In his remaining spare time, he was a dedicated reader of the New York Times.
Mickey was a true family man and beloved friend. He was an adoring father to Jacob (Cathy) Keller of Hillsborough, NC, Seth Keller of Hoboken, NJ and Benjamin Keller of Charlottesville, VA. He loved his sisters Kathleen Grgin of Islandia, NY and Margaret (Jim) Bligh of Wyomissing, PA, and was the beloved grandfather to Abraham and Ada Keller. He was a proud son of Jersey City and had several lifelong friends from his childhood, along with friends he grew close with during his 30+ years living in New Providence.
Mickey was a giant of a man and had an incredibly positive impact on this world, he was the definition of selfless and made it a habit of putting everyone around him first.
