Heath Combs
HIGH POINT — H. Thomas “Tom” Keller, a longtime furniture designer from High Point, died unexpectedly Sept. 16 in Charleston, S.C. He was 70.


Keller, who attended Parsons School Of Design in New York and Kendall School of Design in Grand Rapids, Mich., was a free-lance furniture designer for many companies. He created collections including Atrium Court for Bernhardt and Enchantment for Henredon.

In 1961, he started H. Thomas Keller & Associates in High Point and was active in the firm until his death.

In 1981, Keller was among the first furniture designers to a CAD, computer-aided design system, helping pioneer its use in the industry. He continued to use the latest computers, color laser printers and digital equipment until his death.

“He knew that many hands on drawing boards could not give the client a picture of their new designs with the desired speed, especially for the six-month furniture market cycle. As a result, he turned to computers,” said Frank Tothill, a design and marketing consultant and former Lily Co. executive who was a friend and associate of Keller for 43 years.

“His business was growing and he wanted quick response. He couldn’t hire enough people to keep up with his business so he had to use computers,” Tothill said.

Keller was also known as a quiet designer, avoiding publicity and preferring to keep his work anonymous when possible, Tothill said. Keller traveled the world gathering an extensive library furniture and architecture to use a reference points for design.

“His favorite statement to me was, ‘We need to design a fresh look,’” Tothill said.

He is survived by his wife, daughter and sister.