Keith Allen Jensen – “Jolly”
09/06/1960 – 05/30/2018
Keith Jensen was called to heaven on May 30th, 2018 after a hard 4 ½ year fight with cancer.
He was born in Bemidji, MN on September 6, 1960 to Jens P. and Elisabeth M. Jensen. He was the youngest of four children. Keith graduated from Bemidji High School in 1978. After high school, he continued his education for 3 years at University of Minnesota Duluth and then 2 years at University of Minnesota in which he received his B.A. with Honors in Civil Engineering.
He moved to Helena, MT after graduation, where he took a job at Robert Peccia and Associates (RPA) as a civil engineer in 1983. He became president in 1998 and served for 19 years. He worked at RPA a total of 33 years.
Keith met Kerry (Christianson) Campbell and married January 19th, 2001 in Helena, MT.
Keith was an avid bow hunter and fisherman, which was one of the reasons he moved to Montana. He had an elk camp tradition of elk hunting with his life- long friends from Minnesota and Montana, every year for the past 32 years. With these friends and Kerry, he also enjoyed golfing, 4 wheeling, hiking, Vikings games, concerts (especially Bob Seger), fishing at Fort Peck Reservoir and in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and his all-time favorite going to Costa Rica.
Keith has two daughters, Haley born in 1992 and Katie 1995, and Kerry has two children, Bailey Campbell born in 1989 and Cody Campbell 1991. As a father of four, he made it a priority to be present at all sports related activities for the kids. Keith loved to share his love for the outdoors with his family and taught his kids how to hunt, fish, and camp as well as to enjoy the beautiful outdoors of Montana.
Keith was the most self-less, humble, positive, and uplifting man to all those who knew him. Even through his hard and long battle with cancer, he remained “Jolly”.
Keith is preceded in death by his father Jens P., his oldest brother Jens Jr., and his good friend Bob Deiley. He is survived by his wife Kerry of 16 years, children Haley (Lucas) Boshart, Katie Jensen, Bailey Campbell, Cody Campbell, and his grandson Axel Campbell; Mother Elisabeth Jensen, Mother and Father in-law Curt and Darlene Christianson, brother Carter (Bonnie) Jensen, sister Marla (Dave) Forsythe, sister in-law Kelly (Mitch) Anderson, brother in-law Kevin (Lisa) Christianson, several nieces and nephews, along with many life-long hunting/fishing friends and faithful companion Koda Bear, our sweet chocolate lab.
A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, June 9th at Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home, 3750 N. Montana Ave., with a reception to follow in the social hall of the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Peter’s Cancer Treatment Center c/o St. Peter’s Hospital, 2475 Broadway, Helena, MT 59601, or Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, 5705 Grant Creek Rd, Missoula, MT 59808. Please visit below to offer the family a condolence or to share a memory of Keith.
Service Schedule
Memorial Service
2:00 p.m.
Saturday June 9, 2018
Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N Montana Ave
Helena, Montana 59602
Reception
Following the service
Saturday June 9, 2018
Funeral home social hall
3750 N. Montana Ave
Helena, Montana 59602
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Jeff Swenson says
I will never forget the many great nights I spent in a wall tent with Jolly. Our group, JTEC, made so many unforgettable memories chasing mule deer and elk. Jolly was the glue that kept us together for more than 30 years! I will never forget him and I will miss him the rest of my life. To Kerry and all the kids, I can only say that I am so sorry that Jolly didn’t get to follow you through your lives for many more years to come. Family was very important to him! Rest easy my friend, till we meet again
Randy Gregg says
I will always remember Keith and all the great times we shared together. Most of those times were in the mountains chasing elk and telling stories. He had a knack for ending up in the right place at the right time so we all learned a bunch from him on the trails along the way.
To Kerry and family, our thoughts and prayers are with you daily and we are very sorry for your loss.
Randy & Lin Gregg
Todd Cormier, PE, PTOE says
Please accept my sincerest condolences.
Mona Deiley says
There are no words that can adequately describe how wonderful Jolly was. Throughout our many years of friendship he brought wisdom, humor, and an abundance of kindness. Jolly will be greatly missed but always remembered by all who knew him. To my dear friend, Kerry, our husbands brought us together, but our special friendship will continue to grow for years to come. We have many wonderful memories to look back on. Thoughts and prayers to you and your family.
Mona Deiley
Terri (Snider) Burke says
Kerry,
I am so sorry for you for the loss of your husband. Know that I am thinking of you and sending prayers for your entire family. I hope that good memories with him will help get you through the tough days. Love and hugs.
Terri (snider) Burke
Suave' says
I will miss you my friend.
Denny Hutton says
Jolly was the most optimistic man I’ve ever met in my life. We could be hunting & if we hadn’t seen an elk or heard a bugle in day or two there was always going to be one in the next park or around the next bend of the game trail we were on or they were going to screaming their heads off the next morning. Same thing went for fishing. If things slowed down there was always going to be fish on the next point or the next pass. Even though everyone in elk camp are peers I always felt he was our “leader”. I miss him tremendously & will be thankful for his friendship forever.
Toby Batchelder says
Kerry
My sincerest condolences to you, your family and everyone Keith touched over the years
In my opinion, there’s no better legacy than having made positive and influential impressions on the people we leave behind. I have the feeling that Keith had such an affect on many, many people.
God bless your entire family
Toby Batchelder
Wendy Tonkovich says
Kerry and family,
May condolences bring you comfort and prayers ease your pain. I am deeply saddened by the news of Keith’s passing. I can’t imagine what you all are feeling right now. May you find strength within each other and those that surround you during this time. My heart wishes you peace. xoxo’s
Tracy & Rick Donaldson says
Keith was one of the first people Rick met when he was hired at RPA in 1992. Over the years, he became a good friend as well as co-worker. From picnics & barbecues to volleyball games & hunting trips, company retreats to Cabo & beyond. Keith’s quick wit, ready smile and sociable manner were always at hand. He was always fun to be around, but when it came time to work he could be counted on to get the job done. I recall Haley as a toddler in just a diaper, wearing her daddy’s cowboy boots which reached the top of her legs! He loved his little girls. Keith was also a caring and supportive friend, even shopping and delivering groceries to my house when I was undergoing cancer treatment more than 12 years ago. He’s been such an important part of our lives since we moved to Helena 26 years ago, and we will surely miss him.
Robert Peccia says
Keith was a great friend and an excellent president of our company for a long time. We shared many years together and thought so much alike that our standing joke when one of us had a good idea the other would say “that’s a great idea! I’m glad I thought of it”. It’s tragic that he had to leave us so early. Our lives are much poorer for having lost him, and we will miss him dearly! My sympathies to Kerry and all of his family.
Sharon Grace says
Dear Katie and Haley, I am so sorry to hear of your Dad’s passing. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Matthew T Brophy says
Haley and Family,
Keith was a kind and patient man … and my favorite soccer parent.
He had such a calm and knowing disposition. As a coach I appreciated his attitude more than I ever expressed to him … so I am expressing it to you.
When things got crazy around the soccer fields and drama was the norm, I could always count on Keith to put things in perspective. He had a way of showing me what was important.
Jane and I loved to sit with him when Rocky played Carroll. His sense of humor and his this-is-just-a-game attitude was a tonic for us.
One year we went on a camping trip at Copper Creek (Do you remember, Haley?). He, Ray ad I stayed up late into the night talking while the girls goofed around in the tent. It is a particularly fond memory for me.
Please accept our (the Brophy Family) condolences..
Matt
Lorry Parriman says
I wish I had the chance to know Keith better. Everyone talks about Keith as an amazing, kind, gentle, and wonderful person. I know he raised courteous and remarkable children. My condolences to Kerry and all the family.