A lot of folks are already missing him and mourn the passing of our wonderful friend Keith Staudte, who died August 26, 2021 in Sun City Center, Florida. He was 68 years young.

He was predeceased by his mother and father, Mary A. and Edward P. Staudte and brother Kenneth.

Born in New York City, Keith attended public school in Freeport, Long Island, and graduated from the University of Miami.

He leaves behind a plethora of friends who loved him and whom he loved. He taught us how to laugh, very powerful medicine, and together, laugh we did. He loved music, and worked at WLRN radio station in Miami and WWOZ radio station in New Orleans. He could recite complete song lyrics and told stories and jokes of all kinds.

He lived in New Orleans for 20 years. There, in addition to his stint at OZ, he was a tour guide, limousine and mule carriage driver as well as turtle taxi pedaler. He applied his considerable skills at darts and pool at a variety of establishments, both well-known watering holes and holes in the wall. He followed most of the traditional and newer jazz and blues performers for decades and was intimately familiar with the music sources in the city, from the fancy halls hosting large concert crowds, to the dive bars with three-piece ensembles. There was scarcely a Big Easy musician Keith did not hear perform, most of them numerous times.

Many Jazz fest goers remember his bead hat and festive ticket selling at his hangout at Liuzza's by the Track on fest days. He had an intimate knowledge of the cuisine of New Orleans, from the classic places such as Antoine's, to value purveyors such as the New Orleans Truck Stop. Always on the lookout for a good deal, Keith was also known as "the coupon king" and the "prince of the two for one". He enjoyed sharing oysters on the half shell specials and crawfish boils with friends when they visited him in NOLA.

He loved road trips, going to many parts of the United States, Puerto Rico and Europe. Always searching for that special little diner, or dive bar, all designed to keep him well fed and to whet his appetite for the roots of the music and musicians he so loved. All his travels were linked to friends here and there, both old acquaintances and some new friends made along the way. If he had a motto, it would be the one on his business card: "where to go, what to do, how to get there". Often, friends attended spring training baseball games in St. Pete with him.

He was kind, generous, funny and fun loving. We will miss him and his Christmas cartoons, news clips and hilarious photograph cards. The USPS undoubtedly is mourning the loss of his numerous missives.

Cremated per his wishes, his life will be celebrated in a covid-safe way at a time and place to be determined.

Memorial donations can be given to a charity of your choice. Keith was generous to all kinds of organizations, including dozens of humanitarian, cultural, environmental health and grass roots community groups all over the country and the world.








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