Keller, Thomas A. III Devoted husband and father, respected attorney, lover of the stage and, above all, of the finely written word, passed away on October 2, 2022 at his home in Saint Paul. Tom was born on 6/13/35 in Saint Paul and moved as a boy to Lake Elmo, where he grew up. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1957 and received his LL.B. from New York University in 1960. Tom spent most of his career at the O'Connor & Hannan law firm before moving to Moss & Barnett, and later Gray Plant Mooty. His expertise in business law allowed him to work with companies large and small, on matters ranging from mergers and acquisitions to corporate governance and employment matters. Tom regularly served as a Special Master for the United States District Court in cases involving complex corporate litigation. A lover of the theater, Tom served on the board of the Minnesota Opera and was a devoted patron of theaters in Minneapolis and New York. Working with Apache Oil founder Ray Plank, he was instrumental in the creation of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation at Abbott Northwestern Hospital and served as its first board chair. Tom worked tirelessly to recruit the organization's initial 100 founding investors, launching the Foundation on its path to long- term success. He also served on the boards of Children's HeartLink and Minnesota Diversified Industries. Tom raised funds to support the Edelstein-Keller Visiting Writers Series at the University of Minne-sota and also secured funding for the Ohanessian Chair at the University. In recognition of his service to the legal profession, Tom was honored by the Minnesota State Bar Association at its Fifth Annual Senior Counselor Recognition Dinner in April of 2010. Tom was devoted to his friends, and was always ready to provide advice and counsel, or to pitch in and help wherever he was needed on behalf of a good community cause. Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Albert Keller, Jr. and Nan Orlady Keller. Tom will be deeply missed by his beloved family: his wife, Victoria; his daughter, Jasmine M. Keller; his son, Thomas A. Keller IV; his nieces Thea Johansen (Pop Wagner) and Caddie Johansen; and his sister, Nancy Johansen. In lieu of memorials donations may be made to the following nonprofit organizations: Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid Society (mylegalaid.org/), Second Harvest Heartland (2harvest.org/), Planned Parenthood (plannedparenthood.org/) and American Civil Liberties Union-Minnesota Affiliate (aclu.org/affiliate/…).
Published on October 9, 2022