Randall Brian Keil, a loved and well-respected member of the BVI dive community passed peacefully, surrounded by his family, on the evening of August 19th 2023 at age 76.

Randy was many things in his varied life: an Eagle Scout, a Special Forces Green Beret, a primary school teacher, a mountain climber, a photographer, a speed reader, a conservationist... but he will be remembered most as a cherished husband, beloved father and a kind, honest man who was passionate about the ocean and its marine life.

Randy moved to the BVI in 1981, fell in love with the islands and never wanted to move again. He married his beloved wife, Maritha Kilpatrick in 1982 on Cooper Island. Their two children were born on Tortola, Lauren in 1984 and Austin in 1996.

In the 50+ years that Randy worked as a Scuba Diving Guide and Instructor, he accumulated thousands of hours underwater and taught countless people how to dive. He took pride in his ability to help nervous divers to move beyond their concerns and instead be mesmerized by the intricate web of underwater life he revealed to them. His extensive knowledge of the underwater world was evenly matched by his enthusiasm to share his passion about the ocean and its inhabitants, from giant whales to tiny invertebrates.

Randy’s college years were spent studying Fish and Wildlife Biology and competing in wrestling. He graduated with a BSc degree 
in Education. He taught briefly at an Indian Reservation in Idaho before he was drafted into the army where he became a Green Beret with the 7th Special Forces Group (1970-74). After the military he moved to California, where he taught third Grade at Chandler Private School and taught diving in the evenings and weekends for Caltech and Jet Propulsion Laboratories. In his spare hours, he volunteered for the National Guard and worked towards his Masters in Child Psychology and Early Childhood Education. While at Chandler, he met a K-6 sports instructor, art teacher and his future diving and adventurous forever-traveling-buddy, Maritha.

Randy’s passion was always for diving, so in 1980 Maritha encouraged him to send his resume all over the world. Together they relocated their lives from California accepting a job at Aquatic Centers at Prospect Reef Resort and Treasure Isle in the BVI. Over the years Randy worked at various dive operations such as Baskin In the Sun and Dive BVI before starting his own specialized dive operation at Peter Island Resort called Paradise Watersports BVI. Randy ran the dive center on Peter Island for over 20 years. Peter Island held a special place in Randy’s heart. Guests came just to dive with him expressing that it was Randy’s passion and enthusiasm for the underwater world that inspired them to return year after year.

During his career as a dive guide, Randy and his wife never forgot the community and continued to teach children during school holidays to swim and dive through KATS (Kids and the Sea Swimming Program) or through government sponsored programs. Randy and Maritha’s passion to protect the reefs they had come to love inspired them to work as conservationists alongside other like-minded dive operators to initiate and encourage the installation of permanent moorings for motor and sailing boats. Such moorings have continued to increase through the BVI which helps to protect the reefs. Randy was an early founding member of the non-profit Association of Reef Keepers. He later went on to serve for several years on the Board of The BVI National Parks Trust. He worked closely with Conservation & Fisheries to generate awareness through education that helped progress protection laws and initiatives.

The only thing Randy loved as much as exploring and protecting the ocean was his wife and children. He always prioritized time to do things that his children cared about. Much of The Keil ‘Family Time’ was spent embarking upon ocean adventures - undoubtedly, he passed his passion for ocean conservation on to his children. He also volunteered as an assistant coach for various BVI sports teams which his children played on. He remains fondly remembered by not just his own kids but many from the community that he coached over the years.

His kindness and sense of humor combined with the integrity of his humble character made a lasting impression on all those who met him. Randy was truly well-loved and will forever be missed. Randy’s family intend to keep his legacy alive by helping to encourage and support ocean conservation initiatives across the BVI.

His family asks that if you would like to share any special memories, stories, photos or send a message to please use this website to do so. Post on the ‘Memories & Condolences’ section. 

Memories and stories will be shared at the Celebration of Life Ceremony to be held on June 22nd 2024 where we hope some of the many people who he influenced that live around the world can join our BVI community in honoring a life humbly given.

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