Ken Keechl, a lawyer who was the first openly gay person to serve on the Broward County Commission, his last year as mayor, died Friday of pancreatic cancer, according to a family spokesman.
He was 60.
Keechl was a Democratic activist and lawyer when he announced his bid for the Broward County Commission. He was elected in 2006 and served until 2010. He was chosen to lead as Broward’s mayor in his final year on the County Commission, from November 2009 through November 2010.
His victory was monumental, having beat an incumbent Republican who was once president of the state Senate and who had been appointed to the County Commission by Gov. Jeb Bush in 2000.
“I ran for the commission not as a gay man but as a fiscal conservative and as someone concerned about the environment, but I am aware of the historic nature of becoming mayor and am proud of it,” Keechl told the South Florida Sun Sentinel in 2009 when he became mayor.
As commissioner, Keechl pushed to broaden the county’s anti-discrimination laws to include transgendered residents.
He also authored resolutions in favor of allowing gays to serve openly in the military and against a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
“It’s a terrible tragedy for the entire community,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis. Keechl was a “leader in the LGBT community and tirelessly committed to the welfare of everyone that he served. It’s a great loss for everybody.”
Ken Keechl, Broward County's former mayor who sailed to victory as the first openly gay candidate, died Friday of pancreatic cancer, according to a family spokesman. He was 60.
Ken Keechl, Broward County's former mayor who sailed to victory as the first openly gay candidate, died Friday of pancreatic cancer, according to a family spokesman. He was 60.
Gwyndolen "Gwyn" Clarke-Reed, Florida House District 92, and Former Broward County Commissioner Ken Keechl at Westside park in Deerfield Beach where Florida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist was making an appearance Friday, October 24, 2014. (Rolando Otero/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
County Commission candidate Ken Keechl gets hug from friend and supporter June Clarkson of Hollywood after finding out that Keechl had won the election at his Fort Lauderdale home. (Josh Ritchie/Contributor)
Commisioner Ken Keechl rides in the 2010 Stonewall Street festival and Parade. The festival is now the largest LGBT event in South Florida. (Michael Francis McElroy/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
County Commission candidate Ken Keechl reacts after campaign manager Mark Ketcham, right, of Fort Lauderdale told Keechl he had won the election at his Fort Lauderdale home. (Josh Ritchie/Contributor)
fl-election-commission-broward-110210c Broward County Mayor Ken Keechl hugs a guest as she arrives to his house on election night. Results roll in for Broward County Commission races in Fort Lauderdale at the Ken Keechl residence on Tuesday November 2, 2010. (Carey Wagner/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
County Commission candidate Ken Keechl, right, watches the election results with campaign volunteer Bill Vaynes, of Fort Lauderdale, at Keechl's Fort Lauderdale home. (Josh Ritchie/Contributor)
Selection committee member Ken Keechl, Broward County's Vice Mayor, exchanges words with Broward County Commissioner John E. Rodstrom, Jr. (not shown), during a meeting to discuss what company to hire to run a group of fuel tanks at Port Everglades. This at the Broward County Governmental Center on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, in Ft. Lauderdale. Controversy has surrounded whether the leading firm misled officials about having local offices. We're continuing our look at lobbyist influence in county government contracting. In this installment, we examine the unusual practice of commissioners serving on the committees that choose which contractor to hire. Good government people see it as one of the biggest problems in Broward government. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Broward County Mayor Ken Keechl (Michael Francis McElroy/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Former Broward County Commissioner Ken Keechl, a Democrat, interviews with the Sun Sentinel editorial board about his upcoming race against Chip LaMarca. (Susan Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Former Broward County Commissioner Ken Keechl, a Democrat, argues with current Commissioner Chip Lamarca, a Republican, as they interview with the Sun Sentinel editorial board about their upcoming race. (Susan Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
A 1984 graduate in history from Florida State University, Keechl then received his law degree there three years later.
Former County Commissioner Ilene Lieberman said she remembers Keechl as a “passionate advocate for the interests of his constituents.” One particular effort was to enact additional requirements for developers who were trying to convert golf courses into residential development.
“He didn’t believe in paving over Broward County,” Lieberman said. “Golf courses are green spaces and every inch of Broward doesn’t have to have a building on it.”
She also remembers him as a kind soul: “When Ken is your friend he is there through thick and thin.”
Keechl sought to get back into politics last year, unsuccessfully running for a seat on the Fort Lauderdale City Commission.
He is predeceased by his husband, Ted Adcock, who died in December. Keechl announced their engagement in 2011, then one of the first gay couples in South Florida to announce they were getting married under New York’s legalization of same-sex marriage.
Keechl is survived by two sisters and their families. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Broward Burial and Cremation.
Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at . Follow on Twitter @LisaHuriash
