Personal Fundraiser

Keith Michael Metully was born to Charles J (Chuck) Metully Jr. and Susie (Sue) Schneekloth Metully in Billings, Montana on May 2, 1957. He passed away at his home in Spokane, Washington after a long battle with cancer on May 7, 2022. 

Keith was raised in Kennewick, Washington and enjoyed playing baseball, football, and basketball for Kamiakin High School, where he graduated in 1975. He then attended University of Washington, where he studied industrial engineering. He graduated in 1979 and moved to the Bay Area to begin working with Colgate.

Keith met and married Bonnie Wilkins in 1982. Together they had a son, Matthew (Matt), born in 1984 and a daughter, Lauren, born in 1988.

In 1989, Keith and his family moved to West Chester, Ohio, to pursue his entrepreneurial dream of starting his own business. In 2012 Keith sold his business and moved back to the Pacific Northwest. There he met his fiancé, Lori, and later moved to her hometown of Spokane, Washington. Together they shared many adventures, including trips to Vietnam, Spain, and Washington, Illinois to visit Matt and Lauren and their families.

Keith was considered by all who knew him as an honest, reliable, and trustworthy man.  He enjoyed playing tennis, spending time at Priest Lake, visiting his children and grandchildren, and taking on various home repair and remodeling projects (some of which were voluntary). Keith was a master in the kitchen and loved cooking for friends and family. He claimed the familial title of Master Mixologist when he created the family’s beloved Huckleberry Margarita recipe.

Keith was diagnosed with prostate cancer in October of 2016 when the PSA results from his annual physical showed it had jumped 20 points from the previous year. Biopsies showed that in one year the cancer had invaded practically all of his prostate tissue, leaving no alternative but to remove it.

When it was discovered after removal that the cancer persisted in his body, Keith courageously endured a series of treatments over the next six years including hormone therapy, immunotherapy, radiation, and ultimately chemotherapy. With each therapy the PSA would drop, indicating a recession of the cancer, but with a diminishing length of time before rebounding again. The last round of chemotherapy had no effect on the PSA except to maintain its current level.

Throughout the early stages of treatment, Keith was mostly able to enjoy his favorite activities, such as playing tennis, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. Then in July of 2021, the cancer took a wicked turn when it attached itself to Keith’s upper spine and greedily began encroaching into the bone, ultimately compressing his spinal cord and almost paralyzing him. We were lucky to be assigned to an exceptional neurosurgeon who was able to remove the tumor, and over several months, mobility was restored to Keith’s legs. After this, however, the multiple treatments of chemo and radiation took such a toll on his body that he was unable to fully recover, and while he put up a heroic fight to spend more time with loved ones, he eventually lost the battle and passed away on May 7th.

Keith was preceded in death by his father Chuck. He is survived by his loving fiancé Lori, son Matt (Tara), grandsons Gavin and Mason, daughter Lauren (Alex), mother Sue, brother Ken (Nancy), and sister Karan(Tom). He is also survived by his stepdaughters Laurel and Lex, numerous extended family members, his former wife Bonnie, and many friends.

A memorial with the immediate family will be held this summer at Priest Lake, where Keith’s ashes will be spread around Cavanaugh Bay as he requested.  A celebration of life will also be held in Spokane sometime during the summer.

In October of 2018 we were introduced to Dr. Pete Nelson by a mutual friend. Dr. Nelson provided an outstanding source of information, support, and kind honesty throughout our journey with Keith’s cancer. He was instrumental in getting Keith into the PSMA Extended Access Program at UCLA in December of 2021. While this treatment was highly effective in significantly decreasing Keith’s PSA after only two treatments, Keith’s body had already been through too much and was unable to recover sufficiently to return for a third treatment.

Keith’s incredibly long and hard-fought battle with prostate cancer is a testimony to the much-needed further research to find a cure. Dr. Pete Nelson and his team have the experience and knowledge to get us there.  Please consider making a donation to support their continued efforts, either from this web page, or mail to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, PO Box 10924, Dept. J5-200 Seattle, WA 98190.

Thank you for your love and support!

~The Metully Family