Obituary of Keith Edward Griffiths

Keith was born the first of six children to Ralph and Helen Griffiths of Coronation, Alberta.   A dear little brother, Doug, came next and then four sweet little sisters, Karen, Wendy, Sheila and Pam. 

Keith was most certainly the right-hand man growing up on the farm, as there was always work to do, but his interests were definitely more in the mechanics and equipment.  He very much loved his red 1964 Ford Fairlane.  This interest took him to Stettler for his final year of high school where he could pursue mechanics.  However, in 1967 his beloved little brother Doug passed away from a farm accident at only age 17 and Keith moved back home to help his father, Ralph, with managing the farm.  Unfortunately, two weeks later his mother was also lost to a tragic curling accident and Keith was forever changed.  He never got over their losses, mourning silently for the rest of his life.

On July 2nd, 1971, Keith married his love, Maureen Ann Hudson in Coronation.  From this union three beautiful children, Douglas, Denise and Edward were born in 1972, 1974 and 1975.  Although it was a struggle at times with three young children each only fifteen months apart, they continued on with the farming, growing oats and wheat, crop spraying, and the raising of Black Angus cattle.  It was a lot of work that did not always allow for a lot of fun and reward, but Keith persevered.

Still, Keith was able to pass along a lot of lessons to his family and friends; a strong work ethic was certainly of importance, along with the that of being a good friend and neighbour and to really enjoy any leisure time there was.  He loved to have fun and enjoyed travelling, flying his airplanes both spraying and leisure, camping and fishing, snowmobiling and skiing, and of course riding his motorcycle.  He also very much enjoyed riding his horse, playing hockey, curling, and driving his black ragtop Cadillac.  Enjoying time with friends was also high on his list of priorities and he spent a lot of time in many of these favorite activities with them.

Keith began to rent out the farmland in the late 1990’s and started a new business in Coronation selling general insurance and travel. When they were ready to retire, they sold the farm and moved to their condominium in town.  Keith had been instrumental in getting the condos built in Coronation because he saw a need to provide adults in the community with more housing.  He continued selling insurance as well as became a landlord to the tenants in Lindsay Rae Apartments.   This was a great fit for him for he was a true extrovert; he loved being with and talking to people.  Keith became a Coronation town councillor in 2013 and was passionate in this role, as well as the numerous boards he sat on.   He believed in reducing debt levels and watching out for the underdog.  He enjoyed heated debates, asked hard questions, and had great respect for taxpayer dollars.  He loved his community and always placed it as a high priority.

Keith never really retired; he liked to be busy and worked with Filipenko Brothers in Castor and Coro View farms in Coronation when they needed help.  In the last decade he appreciated spending time with his special friend, Betty Harris, going to the city for drives or sharing in the day’s events.   He had been heading south with his 5th wheel to Arizona, California and Mexico for several winters, where he could meet up with friends and ride his Harley.  He liked being warm!  This last year had been hard for him; the pandemic really cramped his sociable style.  He is now at peace, comfortably warm, and with his beloved mother, father, and brother along with many dear friends who have passed before him.  

Keith is survived by children:  Doug (Sue) Griffiths of Ardrossan, AB, Denise (Dean) Bull of Cochrane, AB and Edward (Norah) Griffiths of Coronation, AB; grandchildren:  Austin, Brady, Charlie, Evangeline, Michael, Damien and Emma; wife of 42 years and mother of his children Maureen Griffiths of Cochrane, AB; special friend Betty Harris of Castor, AB; siblings:  Karen Wold of Camrose, AB, Wendy Marlow of Miramichi, NB, Sheila (Bob) Smith of Bradenton, FL, Pam (Doug) Ferguson of Vernon, BC; aunts: Jean Checkel of Coronation, AB, Anna Rodvang of Coronation, AB, Olga(Jack) Robinson of Red Deer, AB, Rose (Boyd) Jackson of Stettler, AB and Sid Morris of Alix, AB, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and other family members.

Donations in memory of Keith may be made to the Coronation Hospital Auxiliary (5000 Municipal Road, Coronation, AB T0C 1C0).