Robert Douglas Keith – Obituary
Robert Douglas (Doug) Keith
On Friday, December 24, 2015, Doug passed away peacefully at the age of 82 years.
He was predeceased by his parents, Fred & Betty Keith; his siblings Joan (Aiken) and Murray; his nephew Eric Aiken. He is survived by his nieces and nephews Barbara, Keith (Bev), Fawn (Don), Carol, Cheynne (Lori) and Stuart. He is also survived by his brother-in-law Gordon Aiken, sister-in-law Willa Keith, his aunt Alice Keith and numerous great nieces and nephews.
Doug was raised on the family farm near Roseisle, Manitoba. Doug moved to Toronto after he graduated to pursue his love of track and field. He competed at a national level and was an alternate for the Canadian Olympic team in the 50’s. He married Pat Wilson in Toronto and they returned to Manitoba in 1957. He worked for 34 years with the City of Winnipeg Parks and Recreation department in various roles. He shared a love for the Roseisle area and the valley where he lived out his retirement. In the early 70’s he embarked on a business dream with his brother Murray when they purchased a small part of the Pembina Valley and developed Birch Ski area. After the ski area closed Doug continued to be very active in the promotion of amateur sports and maintained his property for use by many outdoor enthusiasts, including cross country runners, skiers and cyclists. In 1999 the cross country cycling event of the Pan Am games was hosted at Birch creating a lasting legacy of the hard work and devotion Doug put into amateur sports. In 2002, he received the Sports Builder of the Year award for development of cross-country skiing in the Central Region.
A memorial service will be held at the Carman Legion Auxiliary Hall to celebrate his life on February 6, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the amateur sports association of your choice.