Yeo

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YEO: Thomas Keith Vernon Yeo, April 11, 1944-February 1, 2021. After a long and courageous battle with cancer, it is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear sweet husband and father/Keith. Keith was predeceased by his sister Cheryl Louise in infancy (a twin to Sharon), parents Thomas Henry and Phoebe Elizabeth (nee Ireland) Yeo, his great nephew Nathaniel Henry Wiebe (Nov 1, 2012), his sister Darlene Russell (January 16, 2021), his nephew-in-law Rob Broadfoot (February 9, 2021). He was born in Winnipeg and grew up in the St. James area. Keith is survived by his loving wife Wendy and daughter Sandra. Keith is also survived by his siblings/sibling-in-laws Bonnie (Mert) Roberts, Marilyn (Orville) Anderson, Sharon (Dan) McHugh, Lenny Russell, Paul (Nirvana) Yeo, Teresa (Robert) Wiebe, Betty (Cam Coad) Laporte, Clark Gregory, Aunt Frances (Ireland) Frew, Aunt Caroline (Ireland) Johnson, Hank Ireland, Aunt Marion (Lewis) Yeo as well as many nieces, nephews, great and great, great nieces and nephews, cousins, many friends and professional friends from the various boards he served on over the years. Keith attended school in St. James and once graduated he worked for a year at Domtar in the office and then changed to Weston Bakeries where he worked in the Accounting (Cost) office and then moved into the field of computers which was the up-and-coming thing. Keith took a lot of computer courses through Weston's at Red River Community College as well as IBM Canada and LaSalle University. Keith was a big part of setting up the computer systems for Weston's in Winnipeg, Regina, and Vancouver offices. He also travelled to Toronto for more computer education. He loved the world of computers. In 1971 his daughter Sandra Lynn was born; she brought much joy and happiness to our lives. We were a very tight knit family and enjoyed travelling together and going to family gatherings. With farming interests in his family background and his parents moving back to the country Keith thought it would be a fun challenge to move to the country as well. He had researched different aspects of farming and thought the dairy industry looked interesting and met up with some dairy farm people around Winnipeg and that is when he decided to go for it. He contacted the Manitoba Milk Marketing Board and found out the rules and regulations and away we went. With the help of his dad Tom and grandfather John Yeo, they converted some older buildings to a four-stall parlor and then also built a large barn to house the Holsteins. We started out with 18 cows and worked up to over a 100, with raising our heifers and purchasing more cows. It was quite the learning experience for all of us. Over the years, Keith got involved with many dairy industry boards. One such event was the forming of Mound Milk Transport Co-op LTD with fellow Dairy Farmer Stewart Hamilton of Glenboro in 1978. They were approached by Art Rampton who at the time was Chairman of The Milk Marketing Board to get this Transportation Company going for the South West area of the province. They added three more Dairy Farmers from this area to form a board and it is still in full operation. Even though he was very busy in the dairy business, his love of computers was still much in his background, and as people learned of his knowledge, he started doing some consulting work and sales from home and then opening The Computer Place. His love for learning and concern about children's education landed him on The Turtle Mountain School Division Board. He served on this board for 10 years and was Chairman of the Board for most of them. Over the past several years, Keith and Wendy enjoyed travelling to Casa Grande, Arizona and then made several trips to Hawaii, also trips to France, Italy, England, Spain, and Portugal. He loved travelling to Alberta and British Columbia to visit with our family and friends who reside there. Keith was a quiet, gentle person, and in reading the messages in the many cards, phone calls and messages we received, words used to describe Keith were patient, hardworking, the best boss ever, sweet, kind, loving, respected, a true gentleman, a person who made a difference, and that he had a great sense of humor. He loved to tease his gullible daughter and sisters, oh how he had fun with that. He liked to discuss politics, philosophy, and worked endless hours on family photos and family tree information. He loved collecting rocks and gems and reading all the info available about them. He also had a Coke truck and a small Dairy truck collection. He always watched the NFL, and it was disappointing for us as his two favorite teams/players were in the Super Bowl this year and he did not get to watch it, who knows maybe they watch it up in Heaven. Keith loved his family and friends and always enjoyed being with them, he will be missed by so many. His parting words when Sandra left for her home in Brandon after a visit was "Watch when you back up" or he would say to both Sandra and I, "I love you, and I really mean it this time." Always the joker! We miss him more than words can say. Love you Keith!!! A private family service will take place shortly and a celebration of Keith's life will be announced and held at a later date. Donations in memory of Keith may be made to the Killarney Foundation (Tri-Lake Health Centre), Box 1300, Killarney, Manitoba, R0K 1G0.

Messages of condolence
may be made online at
www.wheatlandfs.com
Wheatland Funeral Service
204-523-7791

As published in Brandon Sun on Feb 20, 2021