Mezo, Hazel Keeler
Hazel Gertrude Mezo was born on October 26, 1931, in Harpster, Ohio, daughter of Earland Hazel Keeler. She was the youngest of six children, each born two years apart. The eldest was Eugene E. “Gene” Keeler, followed by Harry C. Keeler, Earlton W. “Earl” or “Timer” Keeler, Edith E. Keeler, and Eva Grace Keeler. In 1934 the family moved to Port Huron, Michigan where her father worked for the railroad.
Hazel was baptized and confirmed in the Grace Episcopal Church in May of 1945. She then attended Port Huron High School where she met John Mezo and they both graduated in 1949. Her graduation quip stated, “We gazed and our wonder grew, how one small head could hold all she knew!”. She was also a member of the Student Staff. She then attended Port Huron Junior College until 1951 where she got her associate’s degree in general studies.
She continued to date her future husband John and worked for her brother Harry in the local bank while John entered the United States Airforce and served from 1951 to 1955 during the Korean War era. When he returned,he went to college at Wayne State and worked as a junior engineer for the City of Detroit, still sending love letters to Hazel. On August 30, 1958,Hazel and John were married and moved in to married housing at Michigan State University until John received his degree in engineering and was given an offer by Corning Glass Works in Corning, New York as an engineer making $6300 per year. Hazel and John moved to Elmira NY in January of 1960 where they eventually bought their first house.
In 1966 John and Hazel adopted Michael, their only son. In 1970 John was transferred to the Corning plant in Blacksburg, Virginia and the family relocated to Christiansburg, Virginia. In addition to taking care of Michael, she enjoyed sewing and cooking. She volunteered at the local schools, was a den mother in the cub scouts and volunteered at Radford Hospital. John, Hazel and Michael all began playing golf, which they all enjoyed as a family and with Hazel’s sister Grace. Hazel enjoyed her annual trips back to Michigan where they had family cookouts, went boating with her nephew Donald Milner and his wife Debbie, and played slot machines with her sister Grace.
Hazel and John loved poodles and ultimately owned four, Buffie, Brandee, Sandee and Sunnee. John contracted lung cancer and passed away in 1994, and Hazel never remarried. She found joy in working with women’s clothing and worked at several fashion boutiques. She continued to work well into her 80’s, working as a lobby attendant at a local McDonalds in Blacksburg, Virginia.
She is survived by many nieces, nephews (most notably Sue Davis Theisen, Lisa Garneau, Steve and Julie Davis, Frederick Milner, Patricia Menoian and most notably Donald and Debbie Milner) and by her son Michael and her grand kittens, Orion and Samantha. Celebration of Life and Viewing will be at Holloman-Brown Funeral Home located at 1485 Kempsville Road, Virginia Beach, Virginia on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 7:00PM. Anyone is welcome to attend. She will be interned next to her husband John Joseph Mezo by Horne Funeral Home at Sunset Cemeteryin Christiansburg, Virginia on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at 11:00AM with a brief graveside service. Hazel was 94.
