To the Editor:

Up until I came to Altamont, I had never met a pastor like Keen Hilton and still haven’t. I don’t mean to deify Keen but he was a unique mixture of the human and the holy.

I remember a conversation I had with his wife, Margery, who had a droll kind of wit and we were talking about Keen and she said, “you know Keen is not perfect” and then with a sly smile added, “But parts of him are excellent.” That was the dynamic duo — Keen and Margery.

If we are fortunate there are few people who come into our lives and leave footprints on our hearts and we are never ever the same. That’s what Keen did for Anne and me.

He was the most influential person in our adult lives and he leaves a lingering presence in this community. Many of us have an effect on a few people in our journey through life. Keen affected an entire village.

What more can you ask of a person? He infused us with love and knowledge and hope and inspired us and showed us all how to be better stewards and what God’s love looks like in human form.

It’s our life’s work to figure out who we are, what we think, what our gifts are, and how we can make a difference in the world. Keen Hilton helped show us the way.

Don Snyder

Altamont