Keith Anthony De La Vega

Keith Anthony de la Vega, 31, of Abilene, Texas, passed away suddenly on January 23, 2020.

Keith was born on January 1, 1990 to Andrea Virgen in Abilene, Texas. Timothy de la Vega married Andrea Virgen a few years later and adopted Keith. Keith completed his GED at age 17. The day after his 18 ^th birthday, Keith was sworn into the United States Army. He spent his 19 ^th birthday serving our country overseas in Iraq. Keith married his high school girlfriend, Amanda Castillo in 2009. The two would welcome their first baby girl, Victoria, February 8, 2011. They would soon be blessed with another baby girl on June 23, 2015. Although Amanda and Keith eventually separated, they continued to raise the girls together.

Keith served in the US Army as a Calvary Scout. He was discharged in 2010. His time in the Army was always very important to him. Keith found his calling in the Army and truly flourished. He often told stories about those days and his brothers in arms.

Anyone who knew Keith knew he was a believer and a warrior for God. Keith attended A Walk to Emmaus in 2015. On Walk 217, he furthered his relationship for God and grew to be a front-line fighter for the Lord. He ministered to others especially those that shared the same struggles as he. In the last year, he attended a men’s Bible Study led by Kent Beck and Steve Longmire. He spoke very highly of the men that attended this group and was very thankful for their support and fellowship.

Keith’s hobbies included spending time with his girls and family. He loved doing crafts with girls and working with hands. He enjoyed playing golf with his dad and family. He also appreciated a good ride on his motorcycle. Keith had a huge heart for animals, especially dogs. He loved to spend time with his rescue dogs, Monique, Flex and June.

Keith was full of life, love and laughter. He loved his girls more than anything, but he also loved people. While battling his way through his own storms, he would not hesitate to help someone else. Keith lit up any room with his smile and his effortless humor. He never met someone that he could not make laugh. From the time he was a toddler, Keith was a gifted storyteller. He told many stories about his time in the service and about his wild experiences throughout his life. He had experienced more life than most in his short thirty-one years but he took pride in sharing these stories. He will be deeply missed by many, but his spirit will live on in his girls, his family and his friends.

Keith is survived by his daughters, Victoria de la Vega and Danielle de la Vega; his parents, Andrea Virgen, Timothy de la Vega, Sergio Tobias, and Gayla de la Vega; his grandparents, Bert and Georgia de la Vega, Connie and Rick Skuza; his sisters Aaryn de la Vega and Evelyn Valdez, his brothers John Valdez and Nick Faulkinberg.

Family and friends of family will be welcome to attend a viewing scheduled on January 27 from 5:00PM to 7:00PM at Piersall Funeral Directors, 733 Butternut St.

There will be a memorial service for Keith on January 28 at 2:00PM at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Keith’s name to the Mighty Oaks Foundation.  Condolences may be offered to the family online at www.pbfuneraldirectors.com.