EAGLE MOUNTAIN, UTAH – Keith Conley passed away on Saturday, July 16th. Keith Conley is a well-liked principal in Eagle Mountain. He was the first principal at Eagle Valley Elementary as well as the current principal of Hidden Hollow Elementary.
Keith Conley was the first principal of Eagle Valley Elementary school when it opened in the fall of 2004. The Pleasant Grove Review wrote an article about him and the school’s opening. The article written by Linda Butler was printed on May 6th, 2004.
Conley was quoted in the article saying, “Our desire is to form a strong, symbiotic relationship with the community. We realize that educators and parents working as partners will benefit students, the children, the most..” He continued, “I feel that the core of every academic subject are sound skills in reading.” “We will encourage families to read together.”
The article then continues with a short bio about Keith.
- Raised in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history/political science from BYU – in 1989
- Secondary Teacher in White Pine Col., Nevada
- Coached Basketball, Volleyball, and Wrestling
- Master’s Degree from UNLV in education administration – in 2002
- Assistant Principal at Mountain Ridge Junior High.
- Committee Chair on the Pleasant Gove Library Board.
“I Love working with children. There’s nothing greater on can do, other than being a parent or grandparent than being an educator.”
In September of 2007, Keith Conley was quoted in an article about how Eagle Valley will remember 9/11. He arranged to have a member of the National Guard speed with students about patriotism. He also had a Humvee parked where students could interact with it during lunch as well as encouraged them to wear red, white, and blue. “It’s important to continue to teach our students about the importance of the sacrifice (soldiers) make for us and not just forget 9/11. That’s why we asked men and women to serve throughout the world to protect the United States.”
The residents of Eagle Mountain have been sharing their feelings on Facebook in several of the local groups and on the Elementary School pages. Here are just a few of the many things that people had to say about Mr. Conley and the influence he has had on their lives.
Rich Rasband had this to say about Mr. Conley on his personal Facebook Page
Just found out that my friend Keith Conley unexpectedly passed away this weekend. Keith was my principal for four years at Eagle Valley Elementary in Eagle Mountain, from 2007-2011. He was a former marine, and you always knew where you stood with him, which I appreciated. Keith was also the best principal I ever worked for, and he always had my back, which is a rarity in administrators nowadays. Not only that, he was a good friend who helped me keep perspective on my job, no matter how bad public education got. Keith had the best interests of the students at heart and had no patience for the bureaucracy and politics that educators have to put up with nowadays. We still met at least once a year for lunch to commiserate on the state of public education. The greatest compliment Keith ever paid me was when he told my current principal that he wished his son could’ve had me for a teacher. Keith was only two years older than me and was planning on the coming school year being his last before he took a well-deserved retirement. I’m going to miss Keith. #semperfi
Beck Jones had this to say on her personal Facebook page (used here with her permission).
I sit here in shock and disbelief. I found out this morning that my friend and mentor, Kieth Conley passed away on Saturday. As I sit here with tears flowing down my face I think about how he left such a positive impact on my life and that of thousands of children. Kieth was our first principal at Eagle Valley Elementary in 2004. I served on SCC with him for 7 years before teaching. I got to know him well as I volunteered at the school. He was the principal for all 5 of my children. He was one of my greatest cheerleaders as I decided to teach full-time.
I am so thankful that I still have many email messages and a beautiful letter of recommendation he wrote me. These words mean so much me to me as I think back to almost 20 years of friendship. Please indulge me as I share some of his messages to me from the past years. He really was my cheerleader in education and will be greatly missed!
Becky, Remember….you are a champion. I hope your family is well, especially your missionary. kc
Becky, it was such a delight to see you, your husband and the students from EVES yesterday. It really made my day that the students remembered me.
I am proud of you for the terrific teacher you are and the leader you have become at EVES. I have watched you for many years since our days together on the EVES SCC, and then as you subbed and prepared to enter the profession full-time.
May you know that you are touching lives and making a difference out there, Becky. Please pass along my best to the folks who I know out there and to your team. If I can ever be of service to you and yours, call on me my dear sister.
Becky, how are you? I was thinking about folks out there as I saw students teachers and parents from EVES at HOA today.
I miss the good folks in EM. 10 years binds a fella’ to the people!
I hope you and your family are well. Please give them my best. Tell the families out there that I miss them and hope that they are well. – kc
Becky, I am so glad that you will teach at EVES next year. You have been a blessing to many in EM, at EVES and to yours truly. Godspeed to you and yours, – kc
Becky, I hope you have had a good year at EVES. I miss my friends out there. Please extend my very best to those at EVES from my days. Stay in touch. I am grateful for you and our association. -kc
KR – So sad! He was a wonderful man and always made us lunch ladies feel like we were important! Only one that would come and ask how we were everyday during lunch! Thank you for that MR Conley! You will be missed!
I will update the article with additional details as they unfold.
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.