Edwin Jeffrey Van Keuren

West Point, 1975

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Ryan Benbo on February 16, 2010:

I met Jeff in 2003, shortly after I started at Weber Shandwick. He was a client of ours at United Defense. I think for all of us here at Weber Shandwick who had the pleasure of working with Jeff (some of my colleagues for nearly 10 years), it was hard to simply say that he was our client, because we really saw him as a friend. He was as concerned about our success as we were about his. That is the way Jeff was. He had a big heart that was set on seeing others succeed in life. He was always pushing us to explore new ideas and new concepts, and most importantly, have fun while going through the journey. If there is ever an award for congeniality or networking in the PR field, it should be named after Jeff Van Keuren. He was the consummate networker. When he would meet someone new, he would guide the conversation in such a caring manner that anyone who met him for the first time would feel as if they had been friends with him for life. He always got beyond the small talk and got to know everyone personally -- and he would never forget a name. While Jeff truly loved his profession, there was nothing he loved more than his family. That was evident to all of us at Weber Shandwick. His two children and his wife were his pride and joy. He loved to tell us about their annual family cruises, the joys of helping his daughter pick out her college or the new activities his children were getting involved in at school. Jeff was a good role model for anyone in the PR profession. He was a great professional and an even greater friend. We will miss you Jeff and one day, we will find the answer to "What is next?" Ryan Benbo (on behalf of Jeff's team at Weber Shandwick in Minneapolis)

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