Keith LEWIS

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LEWIS: On Saturday August 23, Keith Lewis, our loving father & husband passed away suddenly at his Toronto home .  Dad was a family man in the true sense of the word. Born in 1926 to Cora and Wallace Lewis, the youngest of four children, Keith grew up on Beverley Street in Winnipeg and completed public school at Daniel MacIntyre Collegiate. Following his Naval training, Keith studied and graduated from Brandon College, then returned to Winnipeg. After marrying Joan Robinson in 1951, the couple moved to Brandon where Keith was initially an accountant with Winnipeg-based Laird Sprague and Company. Originally intending to stay in the city for a year or two at best, the young couple discovered friendships and a lifestyle well suited to raising a family. The planned short-term relocation to the Wheat City lasted 35 years. Keith enjoyed a fulfilling career with as vice-president of the Brandon Sun. In 1968 he left the newspaper and returned to public practice as a partner with Donovan and Stone Chartered Accountants. The Brandon- based firm eventually merged with Dunwoody and Company and after a long career in Brandon, Keith and Joan moved to Toronto in 1986 when he was appointed national partner. Keith retired in 1991. A devoted father, Keith will be lovingly remembered by his children for the wonderful memories he provided at home, during summers at the Clear Lake cabin, vacations cruising the continent in the station wagon, and later family ski trips. Whether it was sailing, tennis, water skiing, or downhill, their dad was always active, many times taking up the activities they enjoyed so he could be closer to them. Because of their kid’s involvement in competitive sports, Keith and Joan spent countless hours officiating with both the Manitoba Track and Field Association and the Manitoba Alpine Ski Association. He could always be counted on for never-ending support, and the guidance and encouragement he gave each of his children allowed them to achieve personal and professional goals. Keith’s record of community service includes tenures on the board and committees of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba, Brandon General Hospital, Brandon Chamber of Commerce and he was an active member of the Kinsmen and Rotary Club. He became a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants (FCA)in 1983. Predeceased by Joan  (1990) . Keith is survived by his wife Helen, and children  Lawrence (Pamela), Jeffrey, and Barbara (Rod) and grandchildren Paige, James, Olivia, and Mikala. A private family service was held in Toronto on August 28th, following cremation.Online condolences may be made through www.turnerporter.ca.

As published in Brandon Sun on Sep 13, 2014