Hall of Honor
Keith Greer (inducted in 2024 alongside his wife Bonnie Ellison Greer) grew up in Houghton, attending the academy and moving on to the college after graduation. His father was a voice and piano teacher at the college, so he often found himself on campus. His “house” team as a high school student regularly competed against the college teams and Keith stayed involved in whatever sport was in season.
Camaraderie with teammates, the competition, and just being able to have fun were some of the hallmarks of Keith’s sports experiences, he says.
As a Houghton student-athlete, Keith excelled in football, but also participated in soccer, basketball, baseball and track. He once ran for 221 yards for the Purple team and capped his playing career by winning the 1967 Sportsmanship Award at the annual Athletic Association banquet. But he says his most important accomplishment was winning the heart of Bonnie Ellison on Sadie Hawkins Day. The couple shared a love for sports and a passion for pursuing Christ. This shared passion has grown into a life of ministry and impact for Christ’s kingdom.
“I was a kid who loved to play, was blessed with some natural athletic ability and am so thankful for what sports added to my life,” shares Keith. “But, my oh my, what the LORD, who gave me life and then gave me life eternal, has done is something else!”
“The greatest thing about my story is that the LORD caught me up into His story and Houghton was part of that story and a place where we could properly stack up some stones of remembrance,” adds Keith.
After leaving Houghton, Keith and Bonnie were married, moved to New England for seminary at Gordon Conwell, ministered in Schenectady, New York, and then returned to Massachusetts where they spent the next 35 years as a pastoral family of six in Carlisle.
Their church allowed them to visit missionaries and attend field conferences and that later led to work with missions organization Barnabas International.
While Keith served as a pastor, Bonnie was able to pursue her other passions in physical education, teaching and coaching. She initially was a long-term sub at her local high school and went on to coach field hockey, tennis and swimming. During their time in Massachusetts, she served as the head field hockey coach at Gordon College.
“I love the privilege of interacting with children, seeing life through their eyes, and sharing what has been learned along the way, and with church family, growing up together as ones challenged by God’s Word to learn to love one another and care about our “neighbors,” with the Truth and implications of the undeserved love of our Savior,” says Bonnie.
Today, Keith and Bonnie enjoy staying connected to Houghton friends, spending time with their four children and 10 grandchildren. Bonnie has just completed a book for children. The couple currently live in Landisville, Pennsylvania, where they still work with Barnabas International.
