Vice Chancellor for Administration

Dear colleagues, 

It is with heartfelt sadness, that I must inform the campus community of the loss of our colleague Kenneth “Ken” Keilbach. Ken was a painter on our Facilities Management team since 2009, and will be deeply missed. On behalf of the University’s leadership team, I extend our sympathies to Ken’s family, friends and co-workers during this difficult time. 

On Friday, March 12, Ken experienced a heart attack while at work, resulting in a fall. I thank the SIUE first responders and Student Fitness Center staff who quickly responded to Ken’s needs in an attempt to preserve his life. Unfortunately, Ken passed away surrounded by family on Saturday, March 20.  

Visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. Thursday, March 25 and from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Friday, March 26 at Moss Funeral Home in Breese. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, March 26 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Beckemeyer.  

Memorials may be made to the St. Anthony’s Cemetery Fund, St. Joseph’s Breese Hospital Foundation, Mater Dei Catholic High School Foundation, All Saints Academy or Breese Humane Society. 

A complete obituary is available at MossFuneralHome.com. 

The following is a list of resources available to members of the campus community: 

On-Campus 

• To support acceptance, coping and grieving, short-term options are available through Counseling Services, co-located with Health Services in the lower level of the Student Success Center (adjacent to the Morris University Center), suite 0222. By calling x2842, Psychotherapists are available for the following: 
  • Crisis Support 
  • Individual Therapy 
  • Attend on-campus memorial events 
  • Facilitate group, classroom, or team discussions/debriefings 

Digital 

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) 
• Crisis Text Line: Text “HOME” to 741741 to access a trained crisis counselor 
• Psychoeducational Materials 
  • Self-care 

Local Community Resources 

• NAMI 
• Heartlinks 

Sincerely, 

 Morris Taylor, PhD
Vice Chancellor for Administration
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville