Sunday, September 11, 2022
Keith Greene
In the past few years Keith spent a good bit of time reminiscing his days as a boy in Point Verde. Since a very young age and into high school he helped his Uncle Phonse take care of the family gardens and animals. He talked about having to get up early in the morning before he went to school because he had to water and feed the lambs and the calves. By the time he went to school he had already worked 2 or 3 hours each day. In the summer he would take Uncle Phons big horses and the wagon to go to the beach and pick up kelp and Caplin to spread on the vegetable gardens.
After high school Keith moved to stephenville where he met Vera Jesso. He called her the love of his life. After they had their daughter Cherie, Vera discovered she had cancer. Keith cared for Vera day and night until her deaths few years later.. It broke his heart when he had to keep a promise to Vera that he allow her oldest daughter,Pearl to raise his little girl. Though he always kept an eye on his daughter, she lived with her sister growing up while Keith moved around to Alberta and other provinces for work. A good story: When Keith found out Vera was going into labor with Cherie, He was working down here at Come by Chance. He said Teeta, who had just got a license, drove Dominic Hall and him, like a bat out of hell, nonstop to stephenville so he could be there.
The highlight of his life was when he went to Nova Scotia to see his daughter get married to David, a RCAF man Keith was very proud to him call his son in law. He spoke often of how proud he was of his granddaughter Tiffany and grandsons, Ryan and Keagan. He loved showing his grandsons his family home and Point Verde beach when Cherie and her family visited him a few years ago.
Keith was a skilled master electrician and lifetime member of IBEW 2330. He worked a large part of his career out of the nuclear power plant in Pickering Ontario. He and his second wife Hope lived in Ontario . Keith retired early so that he could take care of Hope when she got sick . Keith moved back to Newfoundland and settled in Southern Harbour because his sister,Resee and her family lived there.. he wanted family around as he got older and his other sisters lived in the states. After a long illness during which Keith took care of her, Hope died in 2017.
Keith has always been a caretaker. From his early years of taking care of the farm animals to his lifetime of taking care of those he loved. When his sister Teeta was sick with cancer, Hope and Keith drove weekly to St. John’s to spend time with her. When there was electric projects to be done at his family home in Point Verde he drove there to get them done. He was also quick to give his opinion and expertise on anything else that was getting done around there. His historical knowledge of the house and Point Verde land was super important.
He kept contact with his sisters Renee and Teena with weekly phone calls. And thru them got updates on Teeta’s children’s lives. The day he died they had been discussing getting Keith an iPad so they could FaceTime him and he could see everyone real time. Keith hated his computer and was happy when he spilled his tea on it and it died.
Lester took his girls to visit Keith whenever they were in Nfld. Billy,Hope’s son kept in touch with Keith. Billy really helped him when he found the breathing puffers keith could not get in Nfld and mailed them home to Keith this spring.
Keith had great neighbors Frank Hickey and Pete Walsh who helped him out after Hope died and he became sick himself. He enjoyed the the fish and crabs they would bring him. He was especially happy for the scallops he got to send home in June with his sister Teena after her visit.
We are also confident Keith,as we are, would be thankful of his nephew,Kevin who has been very helpful in taking care of his funeral preparations and other affairs until they can be safely transferred to his daughter,Cherie.
Keith was loved by his family and the good people around him. He will be missed. He is finally at rest, he can breathe easily and freely now.
Keith.. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest , and God speed on you your way
