Brenda May Keith

With profound sorrow, we announce the death of Brenda May Keith (ne Goodfellow) on January 18, 2022. Brenda was born in Medicine Hat, Alberta in August 1950 to Ed and Edna Goodfellow. Brenda's early years were on the farm with her parents and older brother Meryl, and the family later moved to ‘town’. She was a truly outstanding student, attending the University of Calgary and earning a Rotary Club scholarship to study at St Andrew’s University in Scotland. Her return from Scotland to Alberta was not in the cards, as instead she followed her heart to Nova Scotia to continue a whirlwind romance with a young Haligonian, Donald Keith, whom she had met at a baseball diamond in Alberta the summer prior. This rather impulsive decision, though likely out of character for Brenda, proved to be a good one as she and Don began a loving, strong, playful 42 year marriage shortly thereafter and the couple settled on Point Pleasant Drive in Halifax. Their early years of marriage were marked by their two beloved daughters, Karen and Julia, Brenda earning her Chartered Accountant designation, and forging friendships in Halifax that lasted her lifetime. Brenda established herself as the accountant for the Nova Scotia International Tattoo and later joined WBLI. Fifteen years later Don and Brenda returned to their rural roots as they moved their family to Milford Station, Nova Scotia, deciding that the family’s passion for horses outweighed the commute to their Halifax based careers. Brenda described the years that followed, where they managed to squeeze rounds of golf at Oakfield into the flurry of the girls’ horse shows and basketball games, as her most cherished. After the girls left for University, Don and Brenda relocated to their warm and welcoming home in Fall River, Nova Scotia, and relaxed into their retirements as ‘Nanny and Pappy’. Ultimately, the allure of being closer to their six grandchildren drew them to Newcastle, Ontario, and Brenda later to White Rock, BC.

We have come to understand and admire that Brenda had achieved a balance between studious professionalism, energetic wellness, and fun-loving play (aided by her husband who rendered it difficult to take herself too seriously). She was always encouraging and proud of the attempts of her family to do the same; she was the kind of Nanny who believed that having four of her grandsons in AAA hockey, or her granddaughter owning a horse, were genuinely good ideas. She was never fully herself after the sudden passing of Don, her partner in life, bridge and golf, in 2014, yet she rallied enough to live with joy, laughter and grace, buoyed by her movie/walking/golf friends in Wilmot creek, her ongoing commitment to fitness (hiking, biking, and aqua fitting tirelessly), and her loyalty to Don’s slightly neurotic dog, Tessa. Her in-between moments were filled by good books, quilting, knitting, and watching lots of different sports. Brenda was intelligent and kind, and wonderful company for all who shared space with her. She will be remembered and dearly missed by her surviving close family; daughters Karen Parmar (White Rock, BC) and Julia Keith (Toronto, ON), her two sons-in-law Gurdev Parmar and Jason Rokosh, her six grandchildren (Seth, Devan, Jesse and Aarun Parmar, Sophie and Jonah Rokosh), her brother Meryl (Jan) Goodfellow (Medicine Hat, AB) as well as her many friends from coast to coast. To honour Brenda’s wishes a small service will be taking place in White Rock BC for close family members only. In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to the Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society. https://www.volunteercancerdrivers.ca.