Keith L. Gustin

Keith L Gustin was born July 18, 1950, the last baby born at the "old hospital" in Norton, KS. He was an "Army brat" and lived in a variety of places while growing up. One of the most memorable locations was Dachau where he and his siblings and classmates prowled the grounds of the infamous concentration camp. He attended high school in Woodbridge, VA where he played football, but ultimately graduated from Poudre High School in Fort Collins, CO. After high school Keith joined the Army and served 15 months in Vietnam as a combat medic. Upon returning to civilian life, Keith attended Colorado State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. After college Keith became a veterans' advisor at the first "one stop shop" for veterans at a local community college where he assisted veterans in accessing their GI benefits. This position opened the door to his life long career which was serving as a National Service Officer (NSO) for the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). In this position he assisted veterans in accessing benefits and in establishing service connection for their disabilities which occurred during their service. Keith worked in various DAV offices including Denver; Washington, DC; and Detroit. While working in Colorado, Keith was instrumental in establishing a college scholarship for the children of veterans. In his position in Washington, DC, Keith represented disabled veterans at the highest level of appeal in the VA system. This work piqued his interest in the law and he later attended the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver. Keith continued working for the DAV until retirement, never losing his drive to save his fellow veterans in any way he could. Keith particularly loved fishing, spending many hours hip deep in freezing river water while wielding his grandfather's antique bamboo fly rod. Keith’s love of fishing came from all the summers spent with his grandparents at Bonny Dam Reservoir in eastern Colorado. He camped with his buddies and enjoyed telling "war stories" of all kinds. Keith was a huge music lover which he passed on to his son. One of his early purchases after returning from Vietnam was a pair of Bose speakers that he promptly wired to all of his audio gear that he brought back with him. He made a brief foray into woodworking and made a "stereo cabinet" to hold the various components. Keith is survived by his son, Michael Gustin; mother, Gwenlyn Gustin; siblings, Beth Briggs (Grover), Terry Jackson (Tom), Joyce Gustin, and Bruce Gustin; stepdaughter, Carrie Todd, and three grandsons. He was preceded in death by his father, Maurice Gustin and his second wife, Ellen Gustin. Services are pending at Fort Logan Cemetery and will be held later this year.