People and Happenings Robert Keller, Director of Cemetery Sales, Retires
People and Happenings Robert Keller, Director of Cemetery Sales, Retires
By Jessica Bussmann
Robert( Bob) G. Keller, Mount Auburn’ s Director of Cemetery Sales retired in November after 41 years of service. He rose through a number of positions and saw the Cemetery undergo many changes.
In his first years at Mount Auburn he was a backhoe operator on the interment crew. He found out about the position from an acquaintance with whom he had worked with at Gethsemane Cemetery in his hometown of West Roxbury, Mass. Starting in 1971, he dug the foundations for lots and also for the Auburn Court Crypts. After about ten years on the grounds operating heavy machinery, working on the tree crew, setting monuments, and as the Assistant Foreman of the interment crew, he was promoted by then Superintendent Duncan Munro to Engineer, a position that included working on mapping and sales plans, then to Assistant Director for Sales & Operations. Later he would become increasingly involved with sales and eventually manage the Cemetery Sales Department.
Although he has worked on projects varying from overseeing asbestos removal to the development of new and innovative interment spaces to the creation of Mount Auburn’ s landmark 1993 Master Plan, change this sentence to: he is most proud of his work assisting families in their time of need. He explains,“ I meet people at the very worst time of their lives and I am able to help them, which is one of the most important and rewarding things I do here.” One of his favorite monuments at the Cemetery depicts a passageway that is rough around the outside, like life can be, and smooth on the inside. Bob meets people at that symbolic doorway and helps them pass through it peacefully.
In addition to the many grieving people Bob has helped, he has also worked with numerous pre-need clients in search of the perfect location for themselves and their family. On an afternoon in late summer as Bob and I walked through the Cemetery, we happened upon another person who frequently walks at Mount Auburn on her lunch breaks. She warmly greeted him and told us that she was very happy with the grave space she and her friend had recently purchased. After touring many options with Bob she felt the place they selected had the best Feng Shui, or positive energy, and not too much direct sunlight, which was important to her. Bob has helped people of all cultures, religions, and preferences find a final resting place that suits their individual requirements and their personalities. For another client Bob found space near Mount Auburn Street,
18 | Sweet Auburn as she had always lived on busy roads and wanted to be interred in a similar environment.“ People tend to select the same type of surroundings in death as in life,” Bob explains.
He notes that one of the most dramatic changes he has witnessed in his time at Mount Auburn is a change in burial trends from casket burial to cremation burial and from more traditional
Reflecting on Bob’ s 41-year tenure, Mount Auburn’ s President Dave Barnett said:“ Mount Auburn is fortunate to have had Bob onits team. In the short 19 years that I have known him, it has always been clear to me that Bob is a dedicated family man. I know it is that quality and attitude that has always enabled Bob to provide caring and sympathetic assistance to families at a time of need. Just as many families have benefitted from Bob’ s knowledge, sensitivity, and skills, so has Mount Auburn. I wish Bob the very best as he retires to spend more time with his own family.”
Robert( Bob) G. Keller, Mount Auburn’ s Director of Cemetery Sales retired in November after 41 years of service.
single or companion graves accompanied by flush or upright monuments to an increasing interest and acceptance in shared memorials. Under his leadership and through the use of community focus groups, the Cemetery Sales Department found that clients wanted a range of options that included nontraditional shared memorials as long as they are perceived to be in beautiful settings, especially intimate garden spaces. He had a hand in developing such interment landscapes as Birch Gardens, Halcyon Garden, Spruce Knoll, Nyssa Path, Azalea Garden, Aronia Garden, and Begonia Garden. He also has been involved in creating inconspicuous new spaces tucked in historic areas by removing or narrowing roads, thereby maximizing the Cemetery’ s use of space while minimizing any impact on the landscape. As a former member of the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Cemetery Association, Bob’ s deep knowledge of cemetery operations benefited cemeteries throughout Massachusetts.
Bob attributes his love of the outdoors and nature to what originally drew him to Mount Auburn, and what has kept him here for over four decades. He enjoys escaping his home in Franklin to hike the White Mountains with his son, Kristopher. He also likes to kayak and to go on leisurely bike rides and out to dinner and to the movies with his wife of 27 years, Donna. Bob is looking forward to spending more time with his friends and all his adult children, Tim, Shannon, TJ, and Kris as well as two grandchildren. But when asked about what comes after retirement, he says with a smile,“ that chapter has not been written yet …”
Jessica is the Education and Volunteer Coordinator. She has been a lunchtime walking partner to Bob for the past 4 years.