Comments on: Remembering Mr. Wildcat

By: Audio Slideshow: Memorial to Bill Keightley | Heraldleaderphoto.com

Audio Slideshow: Memorial to Bill Keightley | Heraldleaderphoto.com — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:11:25 +0000

[...] 3000 people attended the memorial service for Bill Keightley. Full coverage here. ALSO: Check out more photos highlighting Keightley’s career at UK, and listen to comments from Jeff Sheppard, John [...]

By: Allen,TRENTON

Allen,TRENTON — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:48:54 +0000

Bill Kightly was A great man. He done good things to the univarsity it supported
the schhol.I wish he could see gilespie win us a championchip next year.Even though I dont now him that much because im 11 ive nown him good enough
to support him thats all i can say we will all miss him.

By: Edward Penn

Edward Penn — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:21:09 +0000

I just returned home from attending the memorial service for Mr. Bill Keightley at Rupp Arena. So many good things were said about Mr. Keightley during the service by those who have known well him over the years. I’m certain the anecdotes could go on ad infinitum. However, I’ll add one more to the list.

While accompanying one of my close friends to hallowed Memorial Coliseum one afternoon late last summer, I happened to run into Mr. Keightley quite by accident. My friend and I were taken off-guard and, frankly, at a complete loss for words when we suddenly encountered him working in the narrow hallway in the lower level of the arena. We were two middle-aged star-struck men! At any rate, we were able somehow to ask him for directions to the ticket office to pick up my friend’s season football tickets. Of course, neither of us could let the moment pass without asking him about the upcoming basketball season. I asked, “How many games will we win this year, Mr. Keightley? Replied Mr. Keightley, “All of ‘em, son…all of ‘em. Isn’t that the only answer?” My friend and I smiled and walked away, content in the knowledge that we’d met one of our heroes and we had a story to tell others that would get even better with time.

We’ll keep winning them alright, Mr. Keightley – maybe not all of them, but enough of them. Thank you for being the perfect ambassador for UK basketball. We’ll miss you, sir.

By: AGNES WATERFILL KAYS

AGNES WATERFILL KAYS — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:36:34 +0000

The big blue nation will certainly miss Mr. Wildcat. I am a UK fan and a friend of Mr. Wildcat.– and have been his fan since the 1930s when we both attended
Bonds Mill School and Kavanaugh High School I graduated in1943 and I believe Mr. Wildcat graduated in 1944. He was the center player on the Tiger basket ball team of Kavanaugh High School. The last time I saw Bill was when he was
an honorary pall bearer at the funeral of my brother, Junior Waterffill who was
a very good friend of Bill. and who died in 1997.

God bless Hazel and Karen Keightley in your loss — truly we have all have all suffered a great loss when God called him home.

By: Steve Goff UK Class of 1986

Steve Goff UK Class of 1986 — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:53:45 +0000

God bless the Keightly family and the Big Blue nation as well during our time of sorrow. How we all love Mr. Keightly who always spoke in public how he loved the lord and his UK Wildcats. His inner joy was demonstrated by his constant smile, love and affection he showed to everyone he came into contact with. What a wonderful life mentor he was to the coaches and players. Let his standards live forever and let us never fail to try and obtain them. He loved us too remember that.

By: Ed Cunningham

Ed Cunningham — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:22:24 +0000

As a UK grad living in Northeast Ohio I had to get my basketball fix by finding an AM station that carried the Cats games. Many times I sat in my car and listened to Cawood announce the games. My friends and family thought I was crazy, but they didn’t understand the passion that runs in the blood of a UK fan. I also have some real Kentucky blood as my mother is from Lee County. On those times when the games were televised in our area I always looked to see Mr. Keightly on the bench, supporting “his team”. I am truly saddened by his passing. As a student, I was blessed to have attended and experienced Kentucky basketball games with Mr. Keightly, Cawood Ledford, Coach Rupp and Colonel Sanders.
God bless, they are all together again.

Ed Cunningham Alum 71,73.

By: Angie (Hart) Hager

Angie (Hart) Hager — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:19:52 +0000

Mr. Keightly was ALWAYS there. For the coaches, the players, anybody around him. You could see it in the way you looked at him on the bench. His seat, his bench, his team…..that chair should never be filled with anybody….not even the next equipment manager, ESPECIALLY the next equipment manager (nothing against him, of course). I was raised with blue blood coursing in my veins. As a kid, my Daddy had tickets in Memorial Coliseum. I was a little girl and I remember Mr. Keightly, Mr. Wildcat. Blue thru and thru. When Daddy got tickets in Rupp, there he was, Mr. Wildcat. He loved his boys: staff, players, coaches, etc. And if there were girls on as part of his staff, they were “his boys” too. And you could tell that’s what of gentleman he was.

I worked with his wife years ago. She was in Housing in the Funkhouser Building and I was in Undergraduate Admissions in the same bldg. She was the nicest, most genteel woman that I had ever met. Don’t have a clue where she was from but reminded me of a Southern Belle way back when. My condolences to her and the rest of her family, the extended family: his players (all years), his staff (all years), his coaches (all years). Mr. Keightly always a pleasure to watch you and you taking care of all your teams. Tell Mr. Ledford that an old fan says hello. I’m 46 years old but I have seen those two since I was knee high to a grasshopper.
Mrs. Hazel and Family, my condolences to you and your blood family. I hope God has a basket ball team up there because Mr. Ledford has been waiting for you to get things going.
A bleeding and crying blue fan for all of Kentucky, and Big Blue Nation, and the University of Kentucky.
Sincerely, Angie “Hart” Hager
1981 Alum of UK and long time UK basketball fan.

By: Greg Bell

Greg Bell — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:39:06 +0000

So many memories came rushing back when I heard the passing of Mr.Wildcat Bill Keightly. A true Kentucky gentleman, God Bless you Bill and your family.

Thanks for what you have done for Kentucky Basketball.

Greg Bell
Owensboro, Ky

By: Sad day for hoops in the state of Kentucky (2 Deaths)-Online Sportsbooks and Gambling Discussion-EOG Sports Betting Forums

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:38:04 +0000

[...] Re: Sad day for hoops in the state of Kentucky (2 Deaths) Remembering Mr Wildcat Remembering Mr. Wildcat | Heraldleaderphoto.com [...]

By: Debbie Demrow

Debbie Demrow — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 22:27:53 +0000

Mr. Keightley was our guest speaker at our Chamber Banquet a couple of years ago, and it was a special night. He was so full of excitement that you could feel it in the room before he said a word. Some of his ’stories’ were so funny, that even the ‘high society’ people were laughing outloud. I also got to meet him when a group of us got a private tour of the basketball museum, Rupp Arena, and the locker rooms, etc. We had a reception after the tour and Bill was there to share ‘Wildcat’ Stories with all of us. He even had Tubby laughing so hard that he was almost crying. He was one of a kind-a rare gem-and there will never be another like Mr. Wildcat. I agree that he is in heaven and he is proudly displaying his true ‘blue’ colors. Our thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.