Wesley Keith Wharton

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Wharton, Wesley Keith passed away peacefully on January 4, 2018, with his wife of 61 years and loving members of his family surrounding him. Keith, originally from West Texas, attended Texas Western College (University of Texas at El Paso) on a football scholarship where he was an all-conference tackle, playing on the football teams that won the 1954 and 1955 Sun Bowl games. As an undergraduate, he was voted into the Who's Who Among Students. After completing his MS and PhD degrees at the University of Northern Colorado, he moved with his family to Minnesota to accept a position at the University of Minnesota where he was Associate Dean in the College of Agriculture; his tenure included multiple occasions serving as Acting Dean. During his academic career he received many awards and in 1988 served as the chairman of RICOP, the resident instruction commission of the National Assn. of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges. He concluded his 37 years at the University back in the classroom, as a professor in the Department of Rhetoric, with students whom he loved to teach. Keith and his wife, Barbara moved to Greensboro, NC for several years where he was an active member of the Rotary Club. Keith proudly served on active duty as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, honorably discharged with the rank of Major; he always held fast to "Semper Fi." He will be greatly missed by his family and friends, especially his wife, Barbara. Memorial service plans are pending for the spring or summer.

Published on January 21, 2018