Keith "Arthur" Balinger passed away on January 4, 2026, in Boise, Idaho. He was 77 years old.
Arthur was born in Los Angeles, California, where he spent his early years developing what would become his lifelong passions. He began catching butterflies in a nearby field, started playing baseball and collecting baseball cards — hobbies he carried with him throughout his life.
Music and nature were always his sources of peace and strength. In 2025, Arthur stepped down from a 47-year career as a music host for Boise State University Public Radio, where he found deep fulfillment in creating playlists across a wide range of musical genres.
Arthur was also an avid film lover with an insatiable curiosity about the world. He built an enormous DVD collection over the years, with a particular love for documentaries that fed his passion for learning. He was a devoted regular at The Flicks in Boise, where he rented movies so frequently that the staff dedicated a section in his honor.
Arthur's creativity was nurtured by daily rituals of meditation, reading, painting, and walking or running through the foothills near his home. He loved to paint alongside his cat, Tutti Frutti, who kept him company in his studio.
Arthur graduated from Fountain Valley High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he formed lasting friendships with many classmates. He went on to earn a degree in art history from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Arthur is survived by his sister, Shelly Balinger Lynch, and his niece, Sara Sheldon Lynch Horowitz.
Memorial contributions may be made to Boise State Public Radio in Arthur's memory.
A celebration of life memorial for Arthur will be held Saturday, March 28 from 2-4 p.m. at one of his old stomping grounds: Highlands Hollow in Boise.