By Rebecca Billman
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Robert Temple Keeler, an attorney and former partner at Taft, Stettinius and Hollister and an associate of U.S. Sen. Robert A. Taft, died Thursday of complications of a stroke at his home in Dorset, Vt. He was 88.

Mr. Keeler, with cousin Arthur Temple Jr., built up the East Texas Pulp & Paper Co., a timber business founded by their grandfather Thomas Temple. They supplied paper to Time Inc., and Mr. Keeler joined Time's board when the companies merged in 1973. He resigned in 1983 to protest the Warner Brothers merger.

Mr. Keeler worked as a trial and appellate lawyer for more than 30 years, retiring in 1982.

Mr. Keeler was born in Cleveland on the first day of World War I and was a Navy veteran of World War II.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Florence Field "Fifi" Mithoefer, from whom he was divorced.

Survivors include wife Margaret Palmer "Peggy" Mithoefer; a son, David Keeler of Santa Ynez, Calif.; three daughters, Tanny Keeler-Hodgetts of Santa Barbara, Alison Keeler Carrillo of Santa Cruz and Melissa Keeler Burns Morris of Santa Barbara; a sister, Virginia Keeler Townley of Green Lake, Wis.; four stepchildren, James Mithoefer of Ludlow, Vt., Peter Mithoefer of Chappaqua, N.Y., Margaret Mithoefer Seeley of Dorset and Martha "Molly" Mithoefer of Lubec, Maine, and seven grandchildren.

The funeral is pending. Memorials: Seven Hills School, 5400 Red Bank Road, Cincinnati 45227; or the Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati 45202.

E-mail rbillman@enquirer .com