SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — Dr. Keith Yandoh, a beloved educator, husband, father, and grandfather, made his transition on March 23, 2020, at age 85 following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease in the early days of the pandemic. Recently, his children were finally able to celebrate his life in a private ceremony in the Adirondack Mountains, and a scholarship has been established in his name at Jefferson Community College.
Born in Massena, NY in 1935 to Myrtle and Frank Yandoh, he graduated from Brasher Falls high school, then boarded a bus, carrying a cardboard suitcase, to attend SUNY Albany on scholarship. After teaching on both sides of the Atlantic (Salmon River High School and a US Army school in Frankfurt, Germany,) he earned a Master’s Degree from St. Lawrence University and a Doctorate from SUNY Albany. In 1969, he married Jane Campbell.
For 33 years, Dr. Yandoh taught Business at Jefferson Community College, bringing a love of learning and an understanding of the horizon-broadening potential of education. In 1988, his contributions were recognized with the New York State Chancellor’s Award. After retiring, he and his wife Jane moved to Saratoga Springs and he taught part-time at Adirondack Community College in Glens Falls.
Whether you were one of his many students, a neighbor, or one of the caregivers or residents at the nursing homes where he spent his last years, you loved him. He had a sharp wit and enjoyed a good practical joke. Known for his ample patience, he inspired those around him to be kind and to enjoy every experience life had to offer.
His travels took him from the Black Forest to Red Square, to the Pyramids to the National Parks in the American West, but his beloved Adirondack Mountains had a special place in his heart. He enthusiastically enjoyed them with his family and friends for decades and hiked many of the High Peaks. It is here in the HIgh Peak wilderness that he was taken on his ‘last hike’ followed by a celebration of his life at the Mirror Lake Inn in his beloved Lake Placid.
He is survived by his wife Jane, his sister Joyce Russell of Mexico NY, nieces and nephews, his daughters Emily Yandoh of Boston and Kate Harris of Fernandina Beach, Florida, son-in-laws Charles and Tom and grandchildren Campbell, Kaz, and Iris. Dr. Yandoh was predeceased by his brothers Carl and John.
To donate to the memorial scholarship for first-generation students, please visit www.sunyjefferson.edu/