Community loses Mary Ann Keeler
By Nancy Needham  nancy@theacorn.com

Thousand Oaks suffered a great loss when Mary Ann Keeler, known as "Ma," died Nov. 13 at Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center. She had entered the hospital about two weeks earlier, suffering from respiratory distress, family friend Christa Thompson said.

"She considered me an adopted daughter. I met her working on Conejo Valley Days when I was 19 and have spent every Christmas Eve with her since then," Thompson, 46, said.

Thompson said Keeler, 73, who had asthma, entered the hospital when she had trouble breathing. "The air quality was bad at the time because of the fires," Thompson said.

Keeler was known by many as the mother of Conejo Valley Days since she'd been involved in the planning and execution of the event every year since it began in the 1950s, said her longtime friend, Dick Flittner.

"Back in 1956 the population was around 3,200, and they all came to Conejo Valley Days," Flittner said.

Thanks to the hard work of former grand marshals Flittner, the legendary Donna Fargo, Keeler and others, the parade would begin where the post office is today on Duesenberg Drive and go what was the full length of T.O. Boulevard across Moorpark Road to what's now the Janss Marketplace, he said.

Since that time his very good friend served the community in every way she was asked to, he said. His daughter, Heather Jane Flittner, called Keeler her second mom.

"She loved to make jigsaw puzzles and collected clowns. She and my mom would take me fishing when I was a little girl," Flittner said.

Keeler continued each year to work on Conejo Valley Days, and she served in every position possible, said 2008 CVD general chair Marty Campbell.

She was president of the Conejo Valley Action Committee and knew more about running Conejo Valley Days than anyone else, Campbell said.

"I can't tell you how many times a week I'd pick up the phone or e-mail her and ask her a question," Campbell said.

"What equipment do we need? How much did we pay? Contact names and numbers? She would just tell you right away. She knew it all. She was a wonderful woman," Campbell said.

Her friends remember her as generous and helpful. She could've written a book about what she knew about Conejo Valley Days and many now wish she had.

"I miss her tremendously. She shared her love for Conejo Valley Days and took us all under her wing and taught us what we needed to know," 2007 general chair Jean Duffy said.

"Right now we feel a little bit like lost puppies. She's irreplaceable," Duffy said.

Keeler is survived by her husband, Ken. They were married for 55 years and have three sons, Kirk, Kevin and Kelly; two daughters-in-law and four granddaughters.

A "memorial party" is planned for noon Sat., Dec. 1 at the Thousand Oaks Elks Lodge, 158 Conejo School Road. The event is open to the public; call (805) 405-1911 for more information.