M. Keith Browning

Keith was born on April 18, 1927, in San Bernardino, Calif., to John and Loretta Browning. He was the youngest of 10 children and grew up near Coos Bay, Ore.

When he was 16, he enlisted in the Navy and was a corpsman in the South Pacific towards the end of World War II. After returning from war, Keith spent some time in Long Beach, Calif., working in a felt factory.

He returned to Oregon and attended the University of Oregon, where he graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in English in 1951. He began teaching high school in central Oregon and it was during this time that he met the love of his life, Sydney Shirley Stearns. The two were married on May 29, 1955, in Prineville, Ore. Together, they adopted two beautiful children, first Christopher, and then Gretchen. The family moved to Eugene, where Keith completed his Masters of Arts in 1962 and then his Doctorate of Arts in 1970.

Keith then accepted a teaching position at Lewis-Clark State College in the English department, where he served as chairman from 1970-1973. During his time at Lewis-Clark, he started the Confluence Press and the Slackwater Review, as well as bringing important literary programs to the valley, including Poets in the Schools. He and his wife, Shirley, hosted a number of writers at their home in the Lewiston Orchards and were instrumental in creating a rich literary community comprised of individuals from all over the Northwest.

He retired from Lewis-Clark State College in 1984 and continued to devote much of his time to literary pursuits. His beloved wife Shirley passed away in late 2005 and he spent the rest of his life missing her immensely. After her passing, he took quite an interest in quantum theory and spent much of his time pondering the wonders of the universe. He also enjoyed meeting with his colleagues from the college. One of his proudest accomplishments was being awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Idaho Humanities Council in 2007, which dubbed him as Idaho's literary godfather.

He is survived by his two children, Christopher Browning and Gretchen Puckett, both of Lewiston; his favorite granddaughter, Bailey Furbay, grandson-in-law Craige Furbay, and great-grandson Westley Malcolm Puckett of Gresham, Ore. He is also survived by his brother, Dan Browning and Dan's wife Dory of Albany, Ore.; as well as many nieces and nephews.

No memorial service will be held locally. Keith will be cremated and laid to rest next to his wife, Shirley, in Prineville, Ore. If you would like to honor his memory, donations may be given to the Browning Family Scholarship in Creative Writing at Lewis-Clark State College.