08/01/2025
Keith Gordon Wallace, 64, passed away suddenly at his home in Nashua, New Hampshire, on July 28, 2025. Born in Claremont, NH, on July 15, 1961, to Royal Wallace III and Sandra (Patton) Wallace, Keith made a lasting impression on everyone he met—his charisma, magnetic presence, keen sense of style, impeccable taste in cologne, and striking blue eyes were almost impossible to ignore.
He was raised in Claremont and Newport, NH, but also lived in Sunapee, Nashua, and on the Seacoast for a significant portion of his life. Keith graduated from Newport High School in 1980.
An avid and knowledgeable car enthusiast from a very early age and a natural salesman, Keith turned his lifelong passion into an accomplished career. He started in 1981 by dismantling Saabs and selling their parts at Dean Hill Annex in Charlestown, but he was best known for his more than fifteen years selling Saabs across the road from the Annex at Dean Hill Motors. There, Keith quickly and proudly earned recognition as one of North America’s top Saab sales associates, helped lead the dealership to #1 in the country for customer satisfaction, and later served as general manager. Following Dean Hill’s change in ownership, relocation to White River Junction, VT, and eventual closure, Keith continued his career at Gary Blake Saab in Exeter, NH, where he worked as general sales manager until Saab’s unfortunate demise in 2011. Wherever Keith went, his loyal customers followed—even if it meant driving several hours to do business with him. After more than forty years in the automotive industry, he retired from Merrimack Street Volvo in Manchester in 2022.
When Keith wasn’t working, he was at his happiest playing golf (both recreationally and competitively), skiing, boating in his pristine Baja on Lake Sunapee, walking along the beach at the ocean, swimming, or floating in a meticulously cleaned pool with a cold cocktail or beer in hand and the sun overhead. He also found joy in dancing, singing along—off-key but enthusiastically—to Aerosmith or classic country songs, watching the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, NASCAR, and Barrett-Jackson Auctions, as well as going for cruises in any of his many cherished vehicles over the years—from Z28 Camaros, Trans Ams, and Corvettes to countless Saabs, a few Volvos, and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Florida was always one of Keith’s favorite travel destinations, but he also enjoyed grand adventures to Hawaii, Sweden, the Caribbean, Mexico, Minnesota, and the West Coast.
Keith is survived by his daughter, Alicia Langille and her husband Charles of Bennington, NH; his son, Charles “Zach” Wallace of Claremont, NH; his former wife and the mother of his children, Laurie (St. Sauveur) Wallace of Claremont, NH; his mother, Sandra (Patton) Wallace of Seabrook, NH; his sister, Michele (Wallace) Wilson and her husband Norm of Barrington, NH; nieces Danielle McGrail and her husband Scott and their daughter Scarlett of Hampton, NH, and Alexis Parliman of Portsmouth, NH; and many cherished aunts, uncles, and cousins. He is also survived by his partner, Darlene Gorman of Nashua, NH. He was predeceased by his father, Royal Wallace III; his paternal grandparents, Royal Wallace, Jr. and Vetelan (Paradis) Wallace; and his maternal grandparents, H. Gordon Patton and Dorothy (Hawkins) Patton.
His absence leaves a tremendous void, but his memory will live on in the stories and hearts of all who knew and loved him.
“Oh, sing with me, sing for the year / Sing for the laughter, and sing for the tear.” – Aerosmith, “Dream On”
Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, August 7, 2025, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., with a funeral service immediately following at Stringer Funeral Home, 146 Broad Street in Claremont, NH. A committal service will take place afterward at Mountain View Cemetery in Claremont.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages friends to honor Keith by taking a drive on a warm, sunny or partly cloudy day with the windows (or even better, the convertible top) down, and to consider making a donation in his memory to the Lake Sunapee Protective Association or the Saab Heritage Museum in Sturgis, SD.