Colonel Keester was a highly decorated serviceman. He was awarded numerous medals and awards for service to his country, including the Bronze Star, Air Medal with Cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Silver and Bronze Battle Stars, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, French Fourragere, French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star, Belgium Fourragere, Dutch Orange Lanyard, Korean Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Artillery Parachutist Badge, Jump Masters Badge, Korean Certificate of Devotion to Duty and others. He retired from the United States Army in 1960.

After his distinguished military career, he returned to the University of Oklahoma and earned his BA degree in 1961. He then obtained his Teaching Degree and his Masters Degree in Social Studies from Central State University in 1965. He began teaching at St. Mary's Junior and Senior High School in Lawton, Oklahoma in 1962. He also served as Principal of St. Mary's Junior High School from 1962-1966. Later, he taught in the Lawton Public School System at Central Junior High School from 1967 until 1981, when he retired at the age of 65. John was a progressive and outgoing educator, who taught his students Government, History and Drivers' Education, as well as many of life's other important lessons. His students excelled and typically placed in the top 3 in the Oklahoma Southwestern Interscholastic Meet Academic competitions. As an educator and friend, he was influential in many young lives. His students often returned to visit him years later and to thank him for teaching them and caring for them. He appreciated all of his students and provided them a strong sense of respect, loyalty and devotion to their country and family He taught his students not only scholarship and academics, but also that their success in life is dependent on their desire and ability to work, initiative, and love of God and fellow man.

During his lifetime, John was a member of various organizations, such as the VFW, NEA, OEA, PACE, the Retired Teacher's Association and others. He was an active civic leader in Lawton, Oklahoma. He served as President of the Lawton Community Development Program and on the Lawton Lakes and Lands Commission for ten years. He was also the founder and first President of the Lawton Takedown Wrestling Club. Colonel Keester enjoyed golf, trout fishing, serving as Lector and usher at Church and vacationing with his family. He was blessed with a wonderful speaking voice. He cherished the Christmas season and always made sure his family had a Merry Christmas. He loved all of his animals, especially his dogs over the years, including Buster, Wolf, Candy, Honey, Samson, Linus, Bridget, Elkie, Hokie and Princess. John's greatest love was for his family. He met his beautiful French wife, Jacqueline, after parachuting into Southern France in August, 1944. He told her that day that he 

would marry her after the war. They married on June 7, 1945 in Marseilles, France. John and Jacqueline created a loving home for their six children. Later, he cared for Jacqueline's father, Laurent Jean Rebiere, for several years. John was a member of the Methodist Church for many years, but he joined his wife in the Roman Catholic Church by baptism on April 6, 1957. He served proudly as a Lector and usher at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Lawton, Oklahoma for over thirty years. He has been a member of the parish of St. Mary's in Tulsa for the last ten years.

Bardol, France, 1945