Keith E. Askin

Keith E. Askin, 62 of North Port, Florida passed away peacefully on September 19, 2023 at Tidewell Hospice House Sarasota after a courageous 30 year battle with Multiple Sclerosis. Born on February 7, 1961 in Bayshore, New York, he was the son of the late Ronald and Joan Askin of York Beach, Maine. Keith grew up on a family farm in Bow, NH where he was actively involved in farm life and school sports and graduated from Concord High School in 1979, then received his BS in Mechanical Engineering at UNH, and Master’s degree at Rensselaer.

Keith’s childhood and early adult years were spent living a very active lifestyle including running, soccer, sailing and snowmobiling. His active lifestyle changed when he was diagnosed with chronic progressive MS at the young age of 30.

Keith loved all things physical especially skiing and cycling, but also working on house projects. Keith could spend a day working on a corner piece of molding so that it fit just so. He was meticulous, seeking perfection in everything he did. Until the end, Keith pushed himself to the limit. When he could no longer ride his bike in the standard way, he experimented with a line to the pedal that was worked by his weaker leg for a sort of hand control/assist. It was this drive that helped him maintain his independence for as long as he could.

Keith was always committed to his work. After six years as a design engineer at Pratt and Whitney, he realized that he needed a new challenge. It was while working on his MBA degree at UConn that he became fascinated by finance, and he applied that interest in analytics during his fifteen-year career at IBM as a business systems analyst. In 2008, Keith made the difficult decision that it was time to go on disability and had to leave his job that he so loved. Even after he was no longer employed, he volunteered, working with different organizations until he became involved with a church in New Canaan, CT where he found not only fellowship with the other members, but also a volunteer job that he would continue to perform until the end. He was the bookkeeper for their outreach activities, and he continued no matter his physical state. He would always ask for his laptop to be brought to the hospital or rehab facility so that he would not get behind.

Keith never lost his passion for all things financial, and he was as fascinated exploring the details of a company’s balance sheet as the differences between life insurance schemes. Keith endeavored to stay on top of trends in the market and loved nothing more than to talk with family members (like his brother-in-law Kevin who Keith said talked to him regularly) and friends about their portfolios and possible new acquisitions. When he wasn’t following the stock market, or updating his spreadsheets, Keith was an avid reader.

Keith appreciated his friends and stayed in touch with people he knew from New Hampshire. And of course, he was so proud of his nieces and nephews, he loved to tell his friends about their academic and professional achievements. He made strong connections where he lived in Florida as well. He also became connected with the staff at the assisted living complex, friended by many workers that would visit him during their breaks. Keith was so thankful for the great care they all gave him.

Keith is survived by his 4 siblings, Steve Askin, Donna Morrison & husband Tim, Lisa Quiet & husband Kevin, Genay Snell & husband Doug, along with his 7 nieces and nephews whom he was very proud; Hannah, Taylor, Molly, Harrison, Victoria, Connor & Mason, along with other relatives, and numerous friends from various parts of his life.

Keith had a friend group from growing up that he remained in close contact with and one of his best friends reached out to say, “He was as loyal as the day is long. No one ever had a bad thing to say about Keith Askin.”

A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, October 15, 2023 at 11a at the Red Blazer, Concord, N.H.

The family would like to thank all the kind and compassionate care givers at Discovery Commons South Biscayne Assisted Living as well as Tidewell Hospice House in Sarasota. Their compassion in caring for Keith right until the end was so appreciated.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.palmsrobartsfuneralhome.com for the Askin family.