Keith Vermillion

Keith Leon Vermillion, 84, of Kingston, and Nokomis, FL passed away at 6:11 am, Friday, June 12, 2020 at his home in Kingston, due to complications of a serious auto accident March 28, 2020 in Valdosta, GA, while traveling from their Florida home to their home in Kingston.

He was born January 20, 1936 in Columbus, OH to the late Melton and Thelma Whitten Vermillion.  He graduated from Columbus Central High School in 1955.  He served his country in the US Army from 1958 to 1964 as a staff sergeant a Ft. Knox and Ft. Benning, where he received an award for outstanding soldier for exemplary behavior, efficiency, and infantry from the School Brigade.  Following 42 years of service, he retired from American Electric Power as a systems operations dispatcher.  After retirement he and his wife worked on Mackinac Island, MI.  He was there for five seasons.  The first year as a fudge maker and the other years at Scremshanders, where he always said he had the prettiest boss on the island, Urvana Morse.  He loved carving scrimshaw on ivory and whalebone, especially lighthouses.

He was a member of the Central High School Alumni, the Valley Kids, Kingston American Legion Post 0291, a former officer at the Elks, BPOE 52, and AMVETS.  He loved his church families at First Church of God, Chillicothe, Mt. Pleasant Church, Kingston, and Grace Bible Fellowship in Nokomis, FL.  He enjoyed going to church, reading his Bible, sitting on the front porch and watching his flags fly in the breeze, his trains, painting pictures, and studying history.

He is survived by his wife Jeri Long, whom he married June 27, 1993 in Gatlinburg, TN.  They would have celebrated 27 years of marriage on the 27 th .  Also surviving is his daughter, Denise Vermillion, and her husband Tim Tolley, of Hilliard; Denise's mother, Dorothy Jamison; three step-children, Jeffery Carnein, Sue Carnein and special daughter Tracy Myers and her husband Jim; seven step-grandchildren, Nina (Deon) Viney, Jason (Rachel) Cottrill, Christine Myers, Jared Myers, a step-grandson-in-law, Shannon Newberry, and Brittany and Brandy; thirteen step-great-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Teri Long and Kathy Long, of Pleasant Valley; numerous cousins in the Long and Hines family; many church family members and neighbors who have treated us so special during the last couple of months; and his little dog Pandy.  He was preceded in death by a brother, Robert Vermillion; his sister and brother-in-law, Ashely and Betty Davis; a sister, Kathleen Vermillion; his mother and father-in-law, George and Leona Jean Hines-Long; a sister-in-law, Karen Jean Long; and a great-grandson.
He was very thankful to our granddaughter Christine Myers and her friend, Holly Tackett, who went to Georgia after the accident and brought us home to Ohio.  She ran errands for us when we could not because of injuries.

A special thank you to Dr. Kathleen Villarreal and her nurse, Samantha, who went above and beyond.

Funeral services will be held 1:00 pm Tuesday at the Haller Funeral Home & Crematory, Rev. Barry Bennett officiating.  Military graveside services, conducted by the Ross Co. Veterans Honor Guard, will follow in Greenlawn Cemetery, Frankfort.  Friends may call 5-8 pm Monday at Haller's.  Current COVID-19 protocol requires masks to be worn for the funeral and visitation, and social distancing practices will be in place.  A maximum of 50 persons are able to attend the funeral service on Tuesday.  In lieu of flowers, please do a kindness to someone or help someone in need.  Random acts of kindness mean so much for those who are hurting in life.

Keith lost the battle, but won the war.
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