Lily Sun Keyser

With great sorrow we announce the passing of Lily Sun Keyser on March 25, 2014, after 19 arduous years of battling breast cancer. She died in her sleep with her husband holding her hand. Born January 18, 1946 in Hankow, Hupeh, China, during the Revolution. Her family narrowly escaped to Macau, then Hong Kong, where she grew up. A stellar student on full scholarship starting in elementary school, she came to the US in 1964 on full scholarship to Sacred Heart College in Cullman, Alabama. She married her university sweetheart Bob in 1968. She earned a BS from U of South Alabama, a MA at U of Southern California in Heidelberg, FRG, and was a Doctoral Candidate at UOP. In the early 70s, Lily taught Chinese at the DOD Defense Language Institute Monterey, and Science and Math in DOD schools in Frankfurt, FRG. In 1976, Lily blazed new trails at Sac City Unified School District at R&D, as Vice Principal of McClatchy High School where she computerized the school, and other diverse SCUSD positions. Quickly promoted, she became the most highly ranked Asian American SCUSD employee, retiring as Administrator. Everybody loved Lily, who always had a loving sincere smile. After retirement, Lily taught graduate courses in school finance at National University, and served 10 years as Educational Technologist for DOD Schools in Germany. Again, everybody loved Lily. She was an accomplished and exhibited oil and watercolor artist, sailboat skipper, and soloed as an airplane pilot. Family was always first to her, whom she loved unconditionally. No one ever could say a bad thing about her. She was truly a blessed person. Her parents Sun Tack Chih and Hung Wai Chi predeceased her. Survived by her husband of 46 years, Robert T. Keyser; her brothers David Sun, and Hung Sun and his wife of China; a sister Xiaohui Sun (Ellen) and her husband Nengli Zhang of San Jose; her sisters-in-law Jeanette Maygarden and husband Ernest; and 'sister' Lois Durham; Helena Craig and husband Claude; brother-in-law Benjamin Keyser and wife Jackie; numerous cousins in China, Taiwan, and US; dozens of nephews and nieces, and grand nephews and grand nieces in China, Taiwan, and US; plus hundreds of loving colleagues in the US and Germany. Viewing and Religious Services were held Saturday April 5, 2014 starting at 3:00 pm at W.F. Gormley & Sons, 2015 Capitol Ave., Sacramento. Funeral Mass services will also be held in Mobile, AL, Memorial Services in Landstuhl, FRG, and Burial in Barrancas National Cemetery NAS in Pensacola, FL. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the American Cancer Society in her name.