The celebration of life for the beloved and legendary Long Beach lawyer, community leader and philanthropist, Samuel “Skip” Keesal, was an evening full of community and laughter.
Hundreds of people — from local elected officials, nonprofit leaders, and community members — gathered on Thursday, Oct. 30, in the Grand Ballroom of the Long Beach Convention Center to give condolences to the Keesal family, share stories of their friend and mentor, and mourn someone that many said made great impact on the Long Beach community.
Keesal died of cancer at his home in Rolling Hills on Tuesday, Aug. 12, surrounded by his family. He had turned 86 on July 30.
He was born in Chicago, but was raised on a ranch in Tucson, Arizona, according to Keesal, Young & Logan, the Long Beach law firm he founded in 1970 after serving in the U.S. Army and graduating from Cal State Long Beach and USC with degrees in business and law, respectively.
Besides his work, Keesal was a dedicated philanthropist alongside his wife, Beth Keesal, both of whom were honored by Mayor Rex Richardson with Keys to the City in 2024. Long Beach City College’s Lifetime Learning Center also named Keesal Senior of the Year in 2022.
Throughout his life, Keesal served on the boards for numerous charitable organizations, supported multiple community and civic projects, and established a Keesal, Young & Logan Charitable Foundation, which has donated about $7 million to various organizations supporting education, children, medicine and the arts since 1991.
“If my dad were here today in the flesh, he’d be talking about how great all of you are,” Steve Keesal, his son, said during the memorial, “what a positive difference all of you have made and continue to make, and what a pleasure it has been for him to live with you and to operate with you.”
His son shared personal stories about his father, and how he was a master vacationer, constant photographer, accomplished scrapbooker, civil rights activist, cowboy, and the “greatest party thrower of all time.” And, his son added, Keesal was a humble and down-to-earth person.
“Our family, Keesal, Young & Logan, and all of our friends have taken great comfort throughout this time of tremendous loss in the immense outpouring of personal testimony from everyone who knew my dad,” Steve Keesal said.
The celebration of life was put together by the Keesal family, Keesal, Young & Logan firm, the Long Beach Convention Center, and Mayor Rex Richardson.
“I want to begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to Skip’s family, Beth and everyone who’s here, for allowing me and allowing all of us to really share Skip throughout all these years,” Richardson said, “and to participate in this moment of remembrance and celebration of a life so deeply loved and respected here in the city of Long Beach.”
Keesal was someone who brought people from different backgrounds together, the mayor said. Richardson also shared the story of when he first met the legendary community leader and expressed how genuine and generous Keesal was.
“The loss of Skip, undoubtedly, will be felt deeply, not only by his family, his friends, his colleagues, but by the entire Long Beach community, and in our region,” Richardson said. “His impact will continue to be felt for generations to come.”
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach, shared similar remarks during the memorial. Garcia said that Keesal had made an impact on several elected officials and leaders in the city, like himself, and even in the country. The congressman also highlighted the impact of Keesal’s philanthropic work and legacy of kindness and integrity.
“When you think about the true meaning of a citizen and giving back, that’s what he was in this community,” Garcia said.
Business partner and long-time friend, Steve Young, shared about Keesal’s professional accomplishments as a lawyer and how his “boundless” optimism and confidence are what helped make their firm so successful.
“I can say this with 100% confidence: Skip Keesal loved you all,” Young said. “He loved his family.
“He loved his Keesal Young and Logan family, all of the attorneys, secretaries, paralegals, all of the staff,” Young added. “Skip loved the firm’s clients, and he made thousands of lifelong friends, many of whom are here tonight, who are clients and friends, and Skip loved you all.”
The final speaker for the evening was Joe Plumeri, a successful businessman and former CEO of Willis Group, and a friend of 55 years to Keesal.
“I had the privilege of having a friend that I could call at three o’clock in the morning, unconditionally,” Plumeri said, “and it didn’t matter what the problem was, I could call Skippy.”
The longtime friend shared stories of how the friends gave each other their nicknames; joked about their dinners and how Keesal was a slower eater; their trip to the 1978 World Series game; and accidentally going into a biker bar in Oregon, where Keesal was able to befriend the bikers, take pictures with them, and offer them his lawyer services.
More than 700 people in the crowd were laughing, and some shed a few tears, of the stories and genuine stories being shared about Kessal.
“Make sure you make somebody feel good tomorrow, so that the celebration tonight lingers on to tomorrow and the next day,” Plumeri said, “and every day you make somebody feel good, remember that’s what Skip would have done.”