Keith James Leinbach, 62, of Kutztown, died unexpectedly Wednesday, July 19, 2023. Born in Pensacola, FL, Keith was a son of Shirley M. (Arndt) Leinbach, Kutztown, and the late Jay S. Leinbach. He was a member of Saint Paul’s United Church of Christ Church, Kutztown, where he was very active in positions of authority, committee work, and as a member of the choir. Keith was also active on the Saint Paul’s Relay for Life Team (American Cancer Society) since its inception.
Keith was a graduate of Kutztown Area High School, Class of 1979, where he graduated as Class Valedictorian. He was active in the high school pop group “28-Large.” Keith continued his education at Penn State, earning his Bachelor’s degree; then went onto Drexel University and earned his Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering.
Keith was employed for over 37 years by Air Products, Trexlertown, first beginning in the laboratory and then transitioning to environmental permitting for new start-up locations of Air Products plants. Keith had a very broad knowledge of environmental issues and regulations and was depended upon by his work colleagues to solve very complex problems at Air Products. He retired earlier this year.
Keith’s sense of service to his community included his work with the Kutztown Environmental Commission which he joined in 2019. He willingly shared his expertise on evaluating different environmental permits and regulations dealing with air and water pollution. Keith was relied upon for his knowledge of different areas of the environmental sciences and served as Vice Chair of the commission for two and a half years.
Keith was a well-known and highly respected member of the Kutztown community. He was a valued colleague of his Air Products department co-workers and the members of the Kutztown Environmental Advisory Commission. He was kind, talented, and hardworking! Keith is deeply missed by us all.