Herbert Bruce Keil of Potomac, Md., formerly of Hinsdale, passed away peacefully June 8, 2021.
Herbert, 93, was born in 1927 in Chicago to Lillian and Herbert Julius Keil as the youngest of three children. He graduated from William and Mary College with a degree in chemistry and earned a law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law at Illinois Institute of Technology.
After practicing patent law in Chicago, Herbert moved to Washington, D.C., and founded Keil & Weinkauf, a patent and antitrust firm he led as senior partner until his retirement. In that time, he argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals, tried international intellectual property cases for some of the largest biotech and chemical companies in the world, served as a law professor at IIT and UIC John Marshall Law School and prosecuted more than 10,000 patents on behalf of his clients, whom he defended rigorously and cared for deeply.
Blessed with a masterful wit and contagious laugh, Herbert was a man of many hobbies and interests. He was a voracious reader, a daily Jeopardy viewer, a competitive tennis player, a state champion Yo-Yo-er, a veteran of the Army and of World War II, an avid bridge player, a licensed pilot (to the dismay of his wife), a horse breeder whose Dr. Banting ran against Cigar in 1996 (he quipped to the Baltimore Sun, “I just hope we don’t finish last” — they did not) and a lover of a rich red wine. He was perhaps most notable as a generous tipper and for his inability to pass by a homeless person without buying them a meal — both signs of his generous spirit, empathy and love for others. He will be missed dearly by his family, who will celebrate his life and legacy and cherish their time with such a kind and brilliant man, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
He was preceded in death by his son, Braden; and his siblings, Robert and Shirley Keil.
He is survived by his wife, Marilyn Martin Keil; his children, Mary Beth Huffstetler, Sue Keil, Nancy Keil and Bryant Keil; his grandchildren, John Huffstetler, Kyle Huffstetler, Michael Huffstetler, Caroline Olsen, Christopher Huffstetler, Michael Solomon, Hayden Solomon, John Solomon, Kourtney Keil, Braden Keil, Kaitlin Keil, Hampden Keil, Jack Keil, Caroline Keil and Kathleen Keil; and his great-grandchildren, Colton Huffstetler, Hudson Huffstetler, Graylon Huffstetler, Jackson Keil, Carter Keil, Wesley Olsen, Quinn Olsen, Olivia Huffstetler, and Herbert Huffstetler.
