Keith Jennings

Keith Beebe Jennings

July 20, 1943 – February 17, 2026

Keith Beebe Jennings, 82, of Lake Mary, Florida, passed away peacefully at home with his beloved wife at his side on February 17, 2026, following a month in hospice care.

Born on July 20, 1943, in Galion Ohio, to Kent Bates Jennings and Mary Virginia (Linderman) Jennings, Keith dedicated his life to the service of others through education.He was extremely proud of his degrees. He was awarded a B.S. in Education from Bowling Green State University in 1966, M.S of Education from Indiana University with an emphasis in Elementary Education in 1967, and finally several post-graduate coursework towards a PhD at the University of Dayton, Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati A passionate and versatile educator for over 39 years, Keith taught at every level, including grade school, high school, and adult education. He notably extended his gift for teaching to the prison system, believing in the transformative power of knowledge for everyone.

Keith was preceded in death by both his birth parents Kent and Mary, the mother that influenced his teenage years, Dorothy “Dolly” (Shade) Jennings, his brother, George “Bud” Shade and his nephew Darren Shade.

His legacy of kindness and education lives on through his family. He is survived by his wife, Yvonne (Victory) Jennings; his brother John Shade; his daughter, Kristin (Jennings) Brown and her husband Donald; his son, Kurt Jennings and his wife Amy (Mallow); his two cherished grandchildren, Andrew and Keaton Jennings; His nieces, Carla (Shade) Russell and her husband Dennis, their children Kaylee and Tyson; Dawn (Shade) Fraizer and her husband Terry and their son Dustin, Darren’s children Brock and Hope, and beloved furry grand dog Dashwood McCall Jennings.

Service Information

A funeral service will be held on March 6, 2026, at 2:00 pm at: Holy Cross Episcopal Church 401 S. Park Ave. Sanford, FL

Memorial Donations

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Keith’s honor to the National Education Association (NEA) https://www.neafoundation.org/donate to support the profession he loved so dearly or to Holy Cross Episcopal Church https://onrealm.org/HolyCrossEpisco13569/-/form/give/now, where he served faithfully.

To share your memories of Keith or to leave s special message for his family online please visit the guestbook below.