Keith Esbeck

Keith Esbeck, 62, of Atlantic, Iowa, died Thursday, July 15, 2021, at his home.

Keith Nolan was born on May 18, 1959, in Atlantic, Iowa, the son of Roger Owen and Marian Lee (Young) Esbeck. He grew up north of Marshalltown in Conrad, Iowa and attended BCL schools. He exceled on the football field; playing on varsity as a freshman and reminisced about winning the state championship his senior year. Keith graduated from BCL High School in the Class of 1977.

Following graduation, he moved to the Hancock area and worked at a factory in Council Bluffs for a short time before starting his career at Hy-Vee. On April 17, 1982, he was united in marriage to Donna Richter and the couple was blessed with three children, Brian, Blake and Brandi. The kids will warmly remember how he was always there for their various activities and treasure the time they spent together on many trips to the Carson Rodeo, Iowa Cubs games, and Friday nights at the Danish Inn. While working for Hy-Vee he was the Kitchen and Deli Manager; living various places for work until moving to Atlantic in 1999. He later was employed at Owner Revolution in Atlantic and mostly recently retired after over 15 years from working in the kitchen at the Glenwood Resource Center. His love of cooking also led to some side restaurant and bakery ventures opening The Kickstand in Panora in 1994 and Ezzy’s in Atlantic in the early 2000’s. Keith’s hot beef sandwich was a meal to talk about, one of the best around. He also made delicious donuts and pastries.

Keith was a straight forward kind of guy and never hesitated to give you his two cents worth. He had a good heart and was always good about sending out cards. This past summer he was able to watch the grandkids t-ball games. He loved being outdoors and looked forward to searching out that perfect spot to trap and in the spring to hunt mushrooms. His favorite fishing holes included Schildberg’s north quarry and Lennon Mill, off of Lake Panorama. Keith seemed to have a green thumb when it came to gardening; nurturing an apple orchard and several gardens at one time for many years, including at his parent’s in Panora, grandparent’s in Exira and a few in Atlantic. He grew anything you could think of and sold his produce and jam, (strawberry rhubarb being a best seller!), at farmers markets in Atlantic and on Broadway in Council Bluffs. Keith was an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan; living and breathing anything Hawkeye. FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FOR IOWA, GO HAWKS!

Keith is survived by his children, Brian (Quinn) Esbeck of Atlantic, Blake (Holly) Esbeck of Atlantic, and Brandi (Cameron) Thompson of Griswold; grandchildren, Willow Esbeck, Axel Esbeck, Elijah Carlson and Lydia Esbeck; his parents, Roger and Mariann Esbeck of Panora; siblings, Mark (Jane) Esbeck of Sarasota, FL, Crystal (Tim) Case of Beaman and Sharon (Roger) Hoover of Le Grand; and many nieces and nephews.

Per Keith's wishes cremation has taken place and no services will be held.

Roland Funeral Service is caring for Keith's family and his arrangements. Condolences may be left at www.rolandfuneralservice.com.