Obituary of Keith Edward Somerville

With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Keith Edward Somerville at home as he wished on September 13th, following a lengthy illness of Multiple Systems Atrophy-Cerebellum, at the age of 74. Keith was predeceased by his parents, Jean (Van Order) and Don Somerville. He is survived by his cherished wife Betty; sister Donna; children Lyle (Christine) and Lianne (Chris); his beloved grandchildren, Mia, Aidan, and Ellie; his nephew Dan (Nancy) and nieces, and cousins.

 

As a Loyalist descendent, Keith was a lifelong resident of Kingston. From a young age, he was drawn to the waterways and the rustic forests that surrounded him, where he learned to love and thrive in nature. Following in his father’s footsteps, Keith was a member of the Frontenac Rifle and Pistol Club, and was proud that his nephew Dan became a competitive shooter at the club. Keith was a man of all seasons and was often found in his boat, fishing or hunting in the woods. He dabbled at playing guitar, enjoyed fixing all manner of things, and was fascinated by the origins of words and sayings. His natural optimism and enthusiasm helped him to achieve anything he set his mind to. A financial advisor by trade, he founded Keith Somerville Financial Services Inc. Keith’s expertise and honesty were valued by the many longstanding clients he served over the years.

 

Retirement enabled Keith and Betty to spend more time traveling as Keith had a keen interest in visiting historical sites in the world. He often managed to include fishing excursions on their trips. Later in life, he turned to quieter activities such as reading, playing cards, doing puzzles and watching the liveliness of the waterways from his condo view. A man with a quick wit, an easy smile, and a heart as big as he was tall, he loved conversing about a wide range of subjects. He was happiest with his family, enjoying their visits and watching his grandchildren grow up.

 

In his special loveable way, Keith accepted each stage of this rare devastating disease with the grace, dignity, kindness and humour in which he lived his life. The family would like to say a special thank you to Dr. Kilpatrick at HFLMC for her home visits and ongoing support, to Kevin (VON) for his assistance and the fun they had during their competitive card games, to Nurse Sharleen at SE Health for bringing her sense of humour to every visit, to all the home care workers who assisted Keith daily, to all the community specialists for their guidance and to the Palliative Medicine team for their immediate response and care in assisting Keith during his final hours.  

 

In memory of Keith and to support MSA Research, donations may be made to msacanada.ca 

 

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.