Keith Spencer Guile

Keith Spencer Guile, born October 23, 1956, in Huntington, NY, passed away peacefully on January 30, 2025, at home in Durham, NC. Spending his childhood summers at the family beach house in Mattituck, Long Island instilled in Keith an enduring love for the coast, the water, and especially seafood. He was fortunate to have traveled widely with his immediate and extended family — crossing the pond on the QE2 at age four to visit several European countries, and enjoying many vacations to Bermuda, Granada, Mexico, and other tropical locales well into his young adulthood.

After graduating from the Perkiomen School in Pennsburg, PA, and spending a few years at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC, Keith embarked on a lifelong career as a guitar, mandolin, and Dobro musician. For decades, he entertained with his energetic and skilled delivery as an integral member of several bands, particularly Rebecca and the Hi-Tones and the Duke Street Dogs. In addition to playing music, Keith was also an inspired song writer, even writing the opening music for the 1998 film production of “Chesterfield”. Another highlight was traveling to Switzerland with the Hi-Tones to play at the 2003 Montreux Jazz Festival. Though his first love was music, he also enjoyed a long and successful career in landscaping and grounds maintenance with Red Mill Nursery and Duke University.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Emily Friedman; his treasured daughter and granddaughter, Jordan and Liliana Guile; his stepdaughters, Sarah and Rachel Friedman; his siblings, Sue Souder (Steve), Nancy Guile, Chip Guile, and Leslie Puglisi (Larry); his adopted sister, Lloyd Burroughs (Paul); his first wife, Lee Guile; and innumerable cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dickson and Helen Guile.

A celebration of life will be held on February 22 at 2:00 pm at The Old Murphey School, 3717 Murphy School Rd, Durham, NC 27705.

Instead of flowers, donations are encouraged in his honor to the Music Maker Foundation https://www.musicmaker.org/