Henry Keith Ferrell

Henry Keith Ferrell was born on July 7, 1953, the first child of Henry and Libby Ferrell. A beautiful baby, Keith grew up to become a dutiful older brother to Edmund, then Ann, and finally Betsy, in a home full of love in Raleigh, North Carolina. Playing in the woods of North Hills as a boy, tall tales of westward expansion and interplanetary exploration alike guided his adventures with brother Eddie and friends, trusty muskets in hand. As he grew into a conscious young man in the 1960s, he found and cherished the written word — primarily speculative fiction and science writing — both of which would define his life’s journey and purpose as a man of letters. Many of his formative literary heroes — such as Harlan Ellison, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke — would become peers and friends later in life, a testament to his attention, hard work, and determination. At this point, cue Elvis, “Nowhere Man,” “Thus Spake Zarathustra,” and, eventually, the entire Neil Diamond catalog. Graduating from Raleigh’s Sanderson High in 1971, he attended the Residential College of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he met Martha Sparrow — a woman of equal beauty and intellect — at a Halloween party in the basement of Guilford dormitory. His face covered in wax, she overheard him mentioning the name “Lawrence Talbot” and she got the reference, having no idea what Keith looked like. On their first date, they ditched a French play to go see King Kong instead. They fell in love, moved off campus, and started their lives together. They were married on July 20, 1974, and would remain together for almost 47 years. In 1975, Keith was hired as store manager of News and Novels in Greensboro and developed a reputation for his keen and encyclopedic knowledge of the printed word, while writing his own works off hours. Always writing, like a fish to swimming. Martha and Keith established their home on Walker Avenue in Lindley Park and welcomed their only child, John Alec, in February 1978. Now a family man, Keith set out on his career in publishing, first at Walnut Circle Press as a print salesman, then as editor of trade magazine The Professional Upholsterer, onward to feature writer of COMPUTE! Magazine, where he was at the forefront of reporting on the burgeoning home computing industry throughout its emergence as a household staple. All the while, he raised his son and loved his wife, planted many gardens, and wrote and wrote and wrote. From 1983 through 1987, Keith published four critically-acclaimed biographies of legendary writers for young adults through M. Evans and Company: H.G. Wells: First Citizen of the Future; Ernest Hemingway: The Search for Courage; George Orwell: The Political Pen; and John Steinbeck: The Voice of the Land. These were the first of many printed works to bear his name in the byline. In 1990, COMPUTE! was acquired by General Media out of New York City, and Keith was recruited and ultimately served as Editor-in-Chief of OMNI Magazine, the preeminent science and technology publication of the day — a career-defining accomplishment. During his tenure at OMNI, Keith worked with (and edited) many of the heroes of his youth and forged friendships across the fields of anthropology, gaming, evolutionary studies, telecommunications, and writers of all stripes. Keith stewarded OMNI as a vehicle for the vanguard of cutting-edge technology and futurism until its final issue. He published his first novel, “Passing Judgement,” in 1996, which took both Hollywood and the Religious Right to task for their shared hypocrisy, criminality, and myopia. It was not a raging success, but it is a pretty damn good read. In 1998, Keith and Martha moved from Greensboro to 36 acres of farmland in Glade Hill, VA, where they took care of each other the best they knew how. He continued to publish scientific articles, short stories, spoke at libraries and universities, and edit and assist many other writers’ works, guiding their creation and publication with a deft hand and keen eye. He served on the board of the Franklin County VA Library, an institution close to his heart, where he championed literacy and open-minded exploration of the written word to all who were willing to take the time. Keith loved working his land, stinky cheese, refining his barbecue recipe, homemade grilled pizza on Saturday nights, books and writers, and discussing the past and future of both civilization and humanity. He wrote until his dying day, which turned out to be April, 11, 2020, at 2:32pm. His heart gave out after fixing a hole in his roof, but finished the job before doing so. Keith Ferrell is survived by his wife Martha, only son Alec, brother, sisters, brothers-and-sisters-in law, nieces and nephews, cousins, trusty beagle Millard, as well as extended family and friends the world over, all of whom knew him as a singular intellect, naturalist, voracious eater, complete weirdo, and torch-bearer of individualism, fairness, and justice for all humankind. They broke the mold. “Let me just lie here a while.” The End. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Keith’s name to The Franklin County Public Library by contacting https://library.franklincountyva.gov.
https://www.keithferrellwriter.com