James (Jim) Paul Keener, 79, of Salt Lake City, Utah, passed away under hospice care on April 29, 2026. He was a beloved spouse, father, and grandfather, a gifted and methodical teacher and mentor, and a devoted friend. He will be sorely missed.
Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on November 11, 1946, Jim spent his early life on a farm with his parents, Helen and Paul, and little sister, Kathy. On his 11th birthday, his parents forced him to move to Tampa, Florida. There, he attended and graduated high school, met a beautiful girl named Kris. They married on June 29, 1968.
Jim earned his B.S. in Mathematics at Case Western Reserve and his Ph.D. in 1972 from CalTech (California Institute of Technology). Jim spent his career at the University of Utah in a mathematical biology group. Professionally, he was a pioneer and internationally renowned in the field of mathematical physiology, studying the math of biological functions of the body. Over the course of his career, Jim mentored 31 PhD students through their Doctoral Dissertation and Defense. He also published over 90 publications as well as 3 books.
But, few things brought Jim more joy than a conversation with a student wrestling with a difficult problem. He poured himself into the mentorship of PhD and applied mathematics students alike, and the impact of his investment followed them long after their studies ended. Jim kept in touch with many of those he mentored throughout their professional lives, a testament to how genuinely he cared — not just about their work, but about the people they were becoming.
