Keith Donald Schulz (K. Don) of Burlington died on Monday March 9, 2026, at his home.
Keith was born in Burlington on December 20, 1938, the only child of Henry Carl and Laura Iral (Boland) Schulz.
In 1965, he married Ferne Van Dyck in Des Moines. They divorced in 1981. In 1985, he married Emily Brooks Roane in Wilmette, Ill. She died on December 26, 2017.
Keith graduated from Burlington High School in 1956 and received a BA from the University of Iowa in 1960. Drums were a big part of his life in those years, and he played in the marching bands, the concert bands, the symphony orchestras, and a variety of jazz and blues bands. He was at the U of I when the Hawkeyes were superb, and he performed with the marching band in two Rose Bowl appearances (both of which they won handily). Upon graduating in political science, he attended the Graduate School of Foreign Affairs at George Washington University while working as a U.S. Capitol Policeman. He then returned to Iowa Law School, where he received his JD in 1963. Following law school, he joined the firm of Hirsch, Riepe & Wright in Burlington and enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve. In 1965, he was appointed Deputy Secretary of State of Iowa in Des Moines and received a commission as a legal officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve. After serving his term with the State of Iowa, he accepted a position in Chicago as Assistant Area Attorney for AT&T. Chicago appealed to him so he avoided a transfer to New York City by accepting the position of General Counsel of Borg-Warner Acceptance Corporation, later moving to the parent company Borg-Warner Corporation where he became Vice President, Secretary, and General Counsel, serving the company for 20 years until it was acquired in a hostile takeover.
He then joined the law firm of Bell, Boyd & Lloyd as a partner. While there, he wrote several articles published in the “Harvard Business Review” and the “Journal of Corporate Growth.”
In addition to his day job, Keith was active, often in leadership, in several civic and professional organizations including the Economic Club of Chicago, the University Club of Chicago, the Chicago Bar Association and its Corporate Law Departments Committee, the Corporate Law Committee of the American Bar Association, the American Society of Corporate Secretaries, the Association of General Counsel, the Chicago Legal Services Foundation, the Chicago Metro Ethics Coalition, the Performance Community, Inc., and the Community Renewal Society of Chicago.
Keith and his wife Emily Roane were active members of the Wilmette Congregational Church, where he served as chair of the Board of Trustees and was a founder of the Men’s Group.
When Keith and Emily bought an old home in his hometown of Burlington, they began to spend much of their time there. After retiring from the law firm, he used Burlington as the setting for his novel, “Keepers of the River,” renaming the town ‘Bruders Landing.’ Nevertheless, its landmarks are recognizable throughout the story.
In Burlington he also became active in several community organizations, where he also served in leadership, including the task force appointed to advise on the creation of the Downtown Development Plan, Downtown Partners, Inc., the Community Foundation of Des Moines County, Planned Parenthood of Southeast Iowa, the YWCA and YMCA, the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra Association, the Kiwanis Club, the Capitol Theater Foundation, The Heritage Trust Foundation, and Bike Burlington.
Keith and Emily were members of Zion United Church of Christ, where they began the popular coffee hour with their friend Janet McCannon.
Keith was an avid skier and loved tennis and bicycling, mediocre, but just good enough to enjoy them. He and Emily traveled worldwide, Keith for his work and both of them for pleasure. They were also able to take their children on a safari in Tanzania and bike trips in Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Later, Keith gathered his children and grandchildren together in the Greek Islands and Spain.
He is survived by his son, Keith Jr. (Viet Ha) of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; daughter, Dr. Christine Schulz of Floressent, Mo.; stepdaughter Sarah Dandelles of Chicago, Ill.; stepson Stefan Dandelles (Geraldine Golay) of Evanston, Ill.; and eight grandchildren. Keith also cherished Emily’s family, especially her twin sister Katherine Roane, friend Pam Johnson, her brother Wilson Roane, and sister-in-law Sue Roane, as well as numerous nieces and nephews, a wonderful circle of friends, and his canine companion, the ever-popular Gabby.
Keith died after elective spinal fusion surgery against the advice of loved ones, with the hope of taking on further adventures. NOTE: Keith wrote this obituary in excellent health many years ago, and it was lightly edited by his kids.
Visitation will be from 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., with the family to receive friends from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., Friday, March 13, 2026, at Prugh Funeral Service, 3940 Division Street.
The funeral service for Keith will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Zion United Church of Christ with Reverend Carolyn Blair officiating. Burial will be in Aspen Grove Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established for Zion United Church of Christ and the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra.
Prugh Funeral Service is in care of the arrangements.
A photo tribute can be viewed, and condolences can be sent to the family by visiting Keith's obituary at www.prughfuneral.com.