Philanthropist Barbara Keller dies
Barbara Keller has died, friends of the Keller family confirmed to News Channel 3.
Keller and her husband Jerry own LULU California Bistro in Palm Springs and Acqua California Bistro in Rancho Mirage.
Barbara was well known for her involvement with desert charitable groups, working with the Desert Aids Project, Palm Springs Art Museum, and Jewish Family Services, just to name a few.
A public service will be held on Thursday at 10 a.m. at Temple Isaiah.
Keller served on the board of the Desert Aids Projects and also acted as the co-chairperson for the Steve Chase Awards.
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“Whether their entertainment tastes run to Broadway musical theater, dance, or great movies, anyone attending the 20th annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards will get a bit of it all,” Keller said to News Channel 3 in 2014.
Keller received a star on the Springs Walk of Stars in February 2012.
“A community volunteer fundraiser extraordinaire, anyone who knows Barbara Keller knows that she is a tremendous advocate in the fight against AIDS and for a host of well-deserving nonprofits in the Coachella Valley, including the Palm Springs Art Museum and Jewish Family Services,” read a Palm Springs city news release on Keller being honored with a star in 2012.
She is a recipient of the ATHENA Award for community service and was previously named Volunteer of the Year from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
In 2016, Keller was honored in Rancho Mirage at the 4th Annual Women in Business Awards.
Originally from New York, Keller was extensively involved in the city’s theater scene, teaching theatre arts, serving as an executive director for two theatre companies, and working as an entertainment industry union negotiator.
“It is hard to write that Barbara Keller has passed. She was such a kind, loving, giving, and beautiful human being, a one of a kind person who made you feel blessed and thankful to God for having her in your life,” Congressman Raul Ruiz wrote in a statement on Facebook. “I find some solace in my faith that her legacy will live on in the lives of so many she has helped, and our love for her will continue for generations. On behalf of my wife Monica and my girls, Sky and Sage, who Barbara loved so much, we send our love to Jerry and the Keller family. We share your sorrow and pray for your comfort in these difficult times.”
