Durlin Keller

Durlin was born June 19, 1933, with his twin sister, Darlene, in Salt Lake City, Utah.  He is survived by his wife Mary, three children, Frances, Rick, and Debra, 4 grandchildren, Nathan, Kara, Andrew, and Elizabeth, 1 great-grandchild Zaiden, and his brother Blaine.

Durlin’s young life proved to have many challenges. His family of 7 grew up in a 2-bedroom trailer in Salt Lake City. The 2 girls got 1 bedroom and the 3 boys got the tent for a while, and then the garage. They used to take a wagon to the trainyard to pick up any coal that had dropped off the train cars to heat their house.  His dad, Max, died of Cancer when he was 9 years old. The 5 kids all took care of him while their mother worked.  Shortly after Max died, his mother remarried Clyde Gilliand. He and his two daughters moved into the small trailer with the rest of the family. Clyde turned out to be a wonderful stepfather. Clyde was a Welder/ Auto glass repairman and would leave the family frequently for a welding job. Eventually, Durlin and the whole family moved 4 times in the next 4 years. From Huntington Park, California to another place in southern California, back to Salt Lake City, and then back again to Bell Gardens, CA.  When Durlin was in 10th grade, the family moved back to Salt Lake again! This time Durlin decided to stay back and live with his twin Sister and her newborn twins (while her husband was overseas).  Durlin quit school and took on a job doing Auto glass.

As time went by, he decided to join the Air Force. He served in the Korean war in Labrador and Newfoundland (Greenland).  He painted insignias on the Airplanes and Jets in Subzero temperatures. He also helped fold the military flags and guard duty.  4 years later, he ended his military career in Florida as a Senior Airman.

Moving on to the next step in life, Durlin decided to go to College at Compton Jr. College, Art Program, where he met 2 people, Mary, and Mr. Pond, who changed his life forever. Mr. Pond said “Durlin, you need to change schools because your art is “way better” than this school could ever teach you, AND marry that pretty little girl that loves you so much”!

June 21, 1957, Durlin took Mr. Ponds advise, he and Mary got married. A Marriage and love that would last 61 years! Durlin changed schools to LA Trade center where he took the “Famous Artist Correspondence course”. He was Founded and Cited by Great Artists such as Norman Rockwell and others.  Durlin began painting business windows for the holidays all over Southern California. He did this side job on his own for many years. While working at an advertising, Mr. Pond found Durlin a better job with ABC TV.

ABC TV hired him and he would work with Roy Rodgers and Dale Evans and more. He moved on to work on the Ernie Kovacs show, where they all had a blast working together. There are two scenes that Durlin created that have become very famous scenes. One was a car salesman trying to sell this ‘beauty of a car’ and he slaps the hood of the car. The floor gives way and the car goes crashing down to the next floor! The next infamous scene was a lady taking a bubble bath and she holds her leg up to wash it, but the leg is backward! As she is washing her funny looking leg, a periscope pops up and looks around! He enjoyed working with many actors and the like. Four years later, while at a Christmas party with Edie Adams and other famous actors/actresses, Ernie Kovacs died in a car accident on his way to the Christmas party. After this time, Durlin received 2 new job offers; Walt Disney and McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Co. Since he did not feel like drawing the same item in sequential order (aka, moving cartoons) he joined McDonnell Douglas where he worked for another 10 years. During this time, Durlin and Mary had started their own family.

In 1972, Durlin and Mary decided to pursue his artist career in Aspen, Co. While creating paintings, he started an art gallery with framing in Glenwood Springs and later created a T-shirt shop in Basalt. He painted such things as Wally Dallenbach’s racecar and Bob Youngs Vehicles as well.  He also painted the Alpine bank vault door when Bob young started Alpine Bank in Snowmass. You will find his Artwork splattered everywhere, from California to Basalt High School’s new gymnasium to Charcoal Burger’s logo. He decided to paint trains of the past so that he and his wife could have fun traveling the United States.  Durlin was an avid Lions Club member both in Basalt and Grand Junction, Co. He loved helping the community in any way possible. He and Mary were also a vital part of the Glenwood Springs Art Guild. Between his career, church, organizations, and a farm with horses and chickens, Durlin and his family stayed very busy. He loved to ride the horses, take photographs, and go hunting. During his hunting trips, he was shooting more photos than deer!

While in Basalt, Colorado, all 3 of their children moved out of the house. In 1987 Durlin and Mary moved to Grand Junction, Co. where he and his wife made new friends. They are very blessed to have kept the friendships of old and new. It will be hard to find a man who loved life, his wife, family, and friends as much as he did! We will miss his beautiful sense of humor and his positivity towards life.