Jan. 30, 1934 – Jan. 10, 2023
Esta Keller, an elementary school teacher and real estate agent, died Jan. 10 in Framingham, Mass., where she had lived since 2021. She was 88.
Born in Philadelphia, the former Esta Molish was the second of three children. Her father and uncle owned a chain of Thriftway grocery stores, now Pickwell, in the Philadelphia area and nearby New Jersey.
She attended Germantown High School and Pennsylvania State University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in education and met her husband, Lowell Keller, who became assistant sports editor at The Buffalo News. They were married in 1956.
She taught for four years in Philadelphia area elementary schools, then directed the nursery school at Temple Beth El in Niagara Falls for four years while her husband was working for the Niagara Gazette. They moved to Amherst in 1968.
Mrs. Keller began her career in real estate in 1973 with Caldwell Development Corp. as a rental agent and manager of the 184-unit Colonie of Amherst complex.
Working with Stovroff & Herman Realtors, she was a sales leader in the Williamsville office. Her biggest sale was a million-dollar gated mansion in Eggertsville. Later she was associated with Realty USA.
She was a member of Temple Beth Zion and was active in the Sisterhood. She and her husband wintered in Longboat Key, Fla., for many years.
Survivors include a son, Lawrence M.; a daughter, Suzanne Keller; a brother, Richard Molish; and two grandsons. Her husband died in 2006.
Graveside services were held Jan. 14 in Montefiore Cemetery, Jenkintown, Pa.
Dale Anderson
Reporter
Dale Anderson has been a Buffalo News staff reporter since 1968. He was the chief rock and pop writer for 20 years and helped establish the weekend entertainment magazine Gusto.
