Keith B. Green
December 23, 1946 – May 25, 2024
Keith Baird Green was born in Southern California and left this earth in Flagstaff, AZ on May 25, 2024 at age 77. He attended high school in Oklahoma City and graduated with a Masters degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of Oklahoma, where he was an active member of the anti-war movement of the late 1960’s. While in college he traveled to family homes in England, Nigeria, Norway, and Venezuela.
After college, he soon put his degrees into practice as a dishwasher on the rim of the Grand Canyon but in little time transitioned to the staff at Phantom Ranch where he became the unofficial local historian and long-time employee. He is known for his fierce Cribbage competition, enthralling Phantom Ranch slide shows and newsletter articles, and was currently writing a soon-to-be published book about life at the bottom of the canyon in the 1970’s. In spite of his visual limitations, he was an avid hiker, logging at least a 120 treks to the rim and back. For 40 years he experienced much of the Grand Canyon by sound, particularly of the river and rustling trees.
He was part of the Phantom Ranch waite/cook/maintenance/cleanup staff from 1975 until he began work for Grand Canyon National Park as an interpretive ranger, breaking another barrier as their first legally blind Ranger. Meanwhile he met and married the love of his life, Nancy Rivest and shared life together at the South Rim. After retiring in 2008, they built their “dream home” and moved to Parks, AZ where they had legendary annual Summer Solstice parties on their deck overlooking the sunsets. Keith and Nancy were very active in the community, including Keith’s memberships in Unity of Flagstaff and the local Lions Club. In 2021 the Grand Canyon Historical Society presented their “Pioneer Award” to Keith and Nancy honoring their 20 years of service. Keith loved to teach visitors about the wonders of the Grand Canyon.
When Nancy’s health no longer allowed them to reside in remote Parks, they moved to The Peaks in Flagstaff. After Nancy’s passing in 2022, Keith moved to The Bluffs where he was residing at his death.
Keith will be greatly missed by his wonderful TLC Caregivers, his Unity community, his sisters, Nancy and Elaine, niece Erin and nephew Alex, his Grand Canyon “crew” and his Bluffs “Pub Buddies.” If you were a friend to Keith, you were a friend for life!
A celebration of the life of this “Legend of the Grand Canyon” was held at Shoshone Point at 3:00 on the 2024 Summer Solstice, June 20, 2024.