Carolyn Sue (Keil) Kuhr, 80

Carolyn Sue (Keil) Kuhr, 80, beloved mother, grandmother, priest, teacher, and friend, passed away on Sept. 14, 2026, surrounded by the family she loved.

Carolyn was born Carolyn Sue Leghorn on Aug. 10, 1946, in Yakima, Washington. She spent much of her childhood in Prosser, Washington, where she developed a lifelong love of learning, nature, and horses.

She attended Central Washington College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English education. Her love of horses also led her to spend summers working at the Lazy K Bar Dude Ranch in Montana, an experience that deepened her affection for Montana and the outdoors.

After graduating from college, Carolyn began her career as an English teacher in Conrad. It was there that she met and fell in love with Daniel Keil, a farmer and rancher. Together they had two sons, John and David.

Carolyn’s life eventually followed a calling that would define much of her adult life. In the early 1980s, she was ordained a deacon by the Episcopal Diocese of Montana and, later in the decade, was ordained to the priesthood.

Her first parish as a rector was in Havre. Over the years, Carolyn went on to serve Episcopal congregations throughout Montana, including churches in Libby, Troy, Eureka, Kalispell, Bigfork, and Missoula. At times, she faithfully served several congregations simultaneously, traveling between small Montana communities to minister to the people entrusted to her care. She also served as a chaplain at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

Wherever Carolyn served, she became known for her kindness, compassion, and remarkable ability to meet people where they were. She possessed a special gift for helping others discover faith for themselves and develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Her ministry was not defined simply by the churches in which she served, but by the countless conversations, hospital visits, prayers, friendships, and quiet acts of compassion through which she touched the lives of others.

In 2014, Carolyn moved to Boise, Idaho, to be closer to her son David and her grandchildren, Shannon and Andrea. Beginning in February 2025, she shared a home with David and his wife, Ashley; her step-grandchildren, Liam, Preston, and Melanie; and her grandchildren Shannon and Andrea. During those final months, Carolyn was surrounded by the rhythms of a busy and loving household.

She found pleasure in simple things: being outdoors, enjoying nature, taking walks with her caregivers, and watching the daily activity of the family around her. She remained someone who appreciated people, conversation, companionship, and the beauty of the world.

Carolyn’s life was one of service — to her family, her church, her communities, and above all to her faith. She will be remembered for her compassion, her intelligence, her strength, her sense of purpose, and the gentle way she helped others feel seen, understood, and loved.

She leaves behind her sons, John and David; her daughter-in-law, Ashley; her grandchildren Shannon and Andrea; her step-grandchildren Liam, Preston, and Melanie; and the many family members, friends, parishioners, colleagues, and members of the communities whose lives were made richer through knowing her.

Carolyn’s family will miss her deeply, but they take comfort in the faith that guided her throughout her life and in the knowledge that the love, wisdom, and compassion she shared with others will continue through the many lives she touched.

A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 11, at St. Michael's Episcopal Cathedral in Boise, Idaho.