Kelly Harold Russell Lough

We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Kelly Lough, who slipped away peacefully, at the Langley Memorial Hospital, Langley, B.C., on October 21, 2026, at the age of 67, following a prolonged heart illness. He will be dearly missed by family members, and by a number of devoted friends.

Kelly was born in Cornwall, Ontario, one of eight children, to Dorothy Elizabeth Elliott (nee Lauzon), and Harold Russell Lough, who predecease him. He grew up, and attended the former Sacred Heart Elementary Catholic School, in the then much more rural Cornwall, and later in Ottawa, where the family moved in 1968, when Kelly was nine years old. This included schooling at Elgin Street Public School, and Ottawa’s High School of Commerce.

In 1977, At the young age of 17, Kelly headed west, first living with older sister Erin, in Spruce Grove, Alberta, and later settling in Greater Vancouver. He worked for many years in the office coffee service business before establishing his own coffee company.

Kelly was a good, kind, and caring person, who always sought to better the lives of those around him including the less fortunate in life. He was widely loved and appreciated in Langley and the broader B.C. Lower Mainland area, by both friends and the many loyal customers of his office coffee business, The Great Coffee Company.

Kelly was constantly thinking about others, whether known to him or not. His many very significant efforts to help those in need, or to help better their lives, are too numerous to count. He was an extremely active and engaged member of his own community, who very determinedly found ways to step in and help out people from all walks of life. With a “Can do” attitude toward challenges (he would not take “no” for an answer), he was never deterred by bureaucratic, systemic, financial, or other impediments when it came to the betterment of his fellow human beings. He was generous to a fault. Through the miracle of the Internet, and social media, he connected with certain people in need, and helped them immensely, in places as far afield as Algeria and Texas, financially sponsoring families and individuals.

Kelly counted among his close and devoted friends the internationally bestselling American novelist and short story writer, Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of the book, Pay It Forward, the basis for a 2000 movie of the same name. Both the fictional book, and the movie, introduce and promote the concept of random acts of kindness (often to complete strangers) as a means of “paying back” good deeds received from others. He was also a board member of the former Pay It Forward Foundation, whose work, when it was operational, included partnering with teachers and students to provide the Young Readers Edition of the book to students at no cost. This way of acting in the world was popularized by the book and the movie, and informed Kelly’s own approach to engaging with others.

Kelly also deeply believed in, lived and acted according to the Golden Rule, -- doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. He strongly felt that everyone should behave this way, and he was frequently surprised, hurt and disappointed at the behaviour of those who were of a more self-centred bent, and who treated others with disrespect, or an uncaring attitude, which he keenly felt when encountered. He also was fond of animals of all kinds, and believed they should also be treated with care and humanity.

This approach to how one should behave in life spilled over into Kelly’s coffee business, where he had high ethical standards regarding how a business should conduct itself, and believed in providing the highest level of service to his many grateful customers.

He leaves behind his son, Desmond Lough (Paige), twin brother Kerry, older sisters Erin (Al), Rose Elliott (Merrill) and Mary-Jo Lough (Edward), younger brother William, several nieces and nephews, and Desmond’s mother, Ramona Pichurski. He was predeceased by older brother Donald Lough, and older sister Anne Feltham, and her husband Glenn Feltham.

Following cremation, a private burial will take place at the Notre-Dame Cemetery, Cornwall Ontario, in spring 2027. A Celebration of Kelly’s Life is also taking place.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Langley Gateway of Hope (Salvation Army), (http://gatewayofhope.ca), 5787 Langley Bypass, Langley, B.C. V3A 0A9, Canada, [email protected], Tel. (604) 514-7375.

Messages of Condolences can be sent by clicking on the link Show Your Support at the bottom of this page.

The family wishes to thank staff of the Fraser Health Palliative Care Consultation Team, in Langley, and of the Langley Memorial Hospital. Special thanks to Kelly’s dear friend, Lise Beaudoin O’Rourke, for her devoted care and presence during Kelly’s illness; and to Palliative Social Worker Jeslin Romeo, for her caring support. Thank you as well to Pan Pacific Pet, of Mission, B.C., a coffee customer, for the spearheading of this year’s annual winter coat drive, in association with the Gateway of Hope.