Stu Keeley, 79, of Bowling Green, Ohio passed away of Covid 19, December 2, 2020. Stu will be remembered
as a loving husband and father, an avid reader and walker, a passionate educator/writer and a caring
friend. He was an engaged and thoughtful listener who believed more in lending an ear than bending an
ear, and he was dedicated to pursuing and sharing critical thinking.
Born on Feb 7th 1941 in Terre Haute Indiana, Stu grew up in Dixon Illinois with his four surviving
brothers and sisters, where he played basketball, collected baseball cards and developed his love of
reading. Stu attended Coe College on an academic/athletic Scholarship and met his wife, Barbara
Pinkerton, while bussing tables in the Nurse’s cafeteria. He and Barb got married on May 18th 1963, in
Burlington Iowa and moved to Bowling Green Ohio in 1967, after he received his PhD in Clinical
Psychology from The University of Illinois.
In 1967 Stu began his teaching career at BGSU where he was active in helping to create the clinical
psychology program and where he taught for almost 40 years. While he enjoyed teaching Clinical
Psychology, his real passion was writing about, teaching and sharing Critical Thinking. With M. Neil
Browne, he wrote the critical thinking textbook, Asking the Right Questions, which is now in its 12th
edition. He was a passionate teacher and Critical Thinking advocate who believed in continuously
updating and improving his skills as a teacher, mentor and writer. His teaching passion was recognized
by the BGSU Board of Trustees who awarded him Distinguished Teaching Professor in 2000.
Stu loved to walk, read, watch movies and listen to music. He was a devoted Celtics fan. He took many
road trips around the United States where he enjoyed hiking in the National Parks, exploring new
restaurants, sampling wine and talking about books. He also enjoyed cruising mostly because it gave him
lots of time to read.
Stu is survived by his wife, Barb, and their four children: Kim Scherer of Austria; Mary Vasudeva (Vivek
Vasudeva) of San Ramon, CA; Teresa Keeley of Irvine, CA; and Stuart James Keeley (Angela Keeley) of
North Carolina.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to support the Wood County Public Library. Checks can be made
payable to the WCDPL Library Foundation (please include “in memory of Stu Keeley” in the memo area), and
mailed to, 251 N Main, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402.
