Keith O. Mersereau

Raritan Township NJ – Keith Owen Mersereau, age 54, died Tuesday, January 10, 2017, at his home after a long battle with Neuroendocrine Carcinoid Cancer. Born August 14, 1962 in Waterbury CT, Keith was the son of J. Mark Mersereau and the late Ellen May (Pierson) Mersereau. He was raised in Cheshire and Brooklyn CT, graduating Valedictorian in his high school class in Killingly CT. He received his undergraduate and Master’s Degree in Optical Engineering at the University of Rochester (NY) in 1984 and 1985, respectively. He was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi honor societies while at the University of Rochester. Keith then moved to Columbus OH, where he worked at The Battelle Institute as a Research & Development scientist. Keith was hired by ATT-Bell Labs in Hopewell NJ, which became Lucent Technologies and eventually, AVAYA, where he was promoted to Marketing Manager. A respected expert in optical technologies, Keith was a published technical writer, completing many pieces, some of which were presented at various Optical Society conferences throughout the world. He was a member of the Optical Society of America (OSA) and the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers(SPIE). He was proud of the many US Patents he held for optical processes and lens coatings, some of which provided the gateway for many improvements and break-through product developments. In addition to his scientific career, Keith was an accomplished trombone player, volunteered for Amnesty International in Columbus OH and Bucks County PA, and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Musical Arts Academy of Bucks County. He loved to read and listen to classical music, and in recent years, became very active in the research for treatments and a cure for the rare Neuroendocrine Carcinoid Cancer that eventually took his life. Keith is survived by his wife of nearly 29 years, Deborah Gers, his father, J. Mark Mersereau of Springfield MA, his sister, Therese Mersereau of Des Moines WA, his mother-in-law, Pat Gers of Erlanger KY, his brothers-in-law, Michael Gers of Union KY, and Steven Gers and his girlfriend Brenda Haas of Bellevue KY, his nieces, Ellen Mersereau and Karissa Lewis, his nephews, Wyatt Lewis and Wesley Lewis, and his two cats, Zeus and Maya. A memorial service will be held at 12:00 p.m., on Saturday, February 18, 2017 at Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main Street, Flemington NJ. Visitation will be Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until the time of service at the funeral home. Cremation was private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Keith’s name may be made to American Civil Liberties Union, P.O. Box 32159, Newark, NJ 07102 or to Tabby’s Place, 1100 US-202, Ringoes, NJ 08551. For further information or to leave an online condolence, please visit www.holcombefisher.com.