Keith Stuart Prior

It is with sadness that we share the passing of Keith Prior - Born in Vancouver at Grace Hospital, Keith lived his early childhood in south surrey in what was a very rustic and pioneering setting. Keith would purposely and ironically refer to these rural years as “the bad old days” – Dad always felt that modern technology and chemicals were a vast improvement over well water and wood burning stoves. His working years were mainly with Monsanto and Borden chemical where he sold phenolic resin to the plywood industry. The later working years saw him buy a sailboat and he and Betty (wife) sailed all around the Gulf and San Juan islands.

After retirement Keith doubled down on bike riding and continued a lot of “puttering” on the boat keeping it sea worthy. He became a serious “gym rat” and re-started strength training – which is something he did a lot in his early 20’s. No matter if it was the gym – bike riding – sailing – Masonic lodge meetings or just strolling to Ladner Village for groceries, dad had an uncanny way of befriending people. After 30+ years living at Riverwest in Ladner he had become one of the original gang icons. Until Keith’s memory began to fail in the last 2 years he could recount stories from almost any era in his life and above all remembered every joke he ever heard and could deliver it with uncanny stage presence. We will miss him for many things but his wit and joke telling and story-telling will be high on our list.

Keith is predeceased by his brother Ross and sister Norma and wife Elizabeth (Betty) and survived by his son Tim. A celebration of Keith will take place in the spring and might involve a short bike ride to honor him. Dad was always a pragmatist so he would not expect anyone to donate anything but he would support the idea that each of us should spend quality time with family and friends and enjoy time together.