Dr Anthony 'Tony' Vanderbilt Keese, age 98, passed away at his home in San Luis Obispo on August 12, 2015. Tony was born in Pasadena on May 23,, 1917. He graduated from Stanford University in 1939 and then went on to complete a degree in orthopedic medicine at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina in 1944. He married his wife of 66 years, Elizabeth Scales of Pasadena, in 1948 and moved to San Luis Obispo in 1951 where he enjoyed life raising four sons and serving his community.

Tony had an amazing life and career as one of the original leading orthopedic surgeons in San Luis Obispo for over 42 years until he retired at the age of 75. During this time, he was one of only two orthopedists practicing in San Luis Obispo County. He helped countless local citizens at the Sierra Vista Hospital and the San Luis Medical Clinic, both of which he co-founded. Frequently, friends of the family would show up at his home for assistance with a weekend injury. Tony was always glad to examine them and if needed, patch them up down at his office, usually free of charge.

Tony's other lifelong passion was cattle ranching. In 1964 he established the K-6 Angus Ranch near Pozo, California. Over a period of 50 years, Tony grew the ranch to include land in Creston and developed the K-6 Ranch into a thriving and functioning business. The K-6 specialized in breeding quality registered Angus bulls, a number of which were top performers at the Cal Poly Bull Test. After retirement, Tony spent as much time as he could working on the ranch, participating in team penning and sorting events, and enjoying the outdoors.

Throughout his life, Tony was an avid outdoorsman. During summer vacations while attending Stanford, he worked as a wrangler at Sweets Camp near Yosemite National Park and led many pack trips into the back country of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Tony loved the Sierras and enjoyed fishing, skiing, hiking, and pack trips throughout his life. Many of his vacations were horse pack and fishing trips into the sierras with family and friends.

Tony is survived by his wife of 66 years, Liz, and his four sons and their families:  Larry (Margie), Jack (Pamela), Bill (Lee Anne), and Jim (Jennifer); ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The Tribune, August 23, 2015