To the outside world we all grow old. 
But not to brothers and sisters. 
We know each other as we always were.

We know each other's hearts. 
We share private family jokes. 
We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. 
We live outside the touch of time.

Keith, I will miss you always.

From day one,
without knowing it,
I loved you with all my heart.
As I grew older I looked up to you and to no other.
Yes, we fought many of times but you supported,
and encouraged me in everything I did.
You were my best friend and my hero.

I will always love you no matter how long its been,
since the day your life came to an end.
I miss my big brother.

In honour of my brother, Keith, who would have celebrated his 63rd birthday today (February 28, 2016). The picture on the photo album was taken in 1969 (he was 16) at Hayward Park (LaSalle, Québec).  The picture in the oval frame was taken in the mid-1980s (Calgary, Alberta).

"The deep pain that is felt at the death of every friendly soul arises from the feeling that there is in every individual something which is inexpressible, peculiar to him alone, and is, therefore, absolutely and irretrievably lost." 
 Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher (1788-1860)

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving here in the United States, I am deeply thankful for having had such a wonderful big brother. The best. Keith, I miss you every day and still shake my head in disbelief that you are gone. I hope you know how much you were (still are, and always will be) loved.

This is my third time trying.  I am starting to think that Keith doesn't want me to say that HE WAS GREAT, WARM HEARTED, FABULOUSLY INTELLIGENT IN THE KITCHEN AND ELSEWHERE.  ELLEN LOVED HIM AND I AM SO SORRY THAT SHE LOST HIM SO FAST.
ANDREe XXOO

Dear Keith

Sorry it has taken me so long to post my good bye message.
I wish very much that it had been a beautiful sunny  day in May and we had our last (unknown to us) round of golf together.
We would have groaned and grimaced about our duffs, laughed about silly things, conversed about world events, talked tech and most importantly celebrated those awesome golf shots that keep us coming back.
You know the ones I mean  my natural draw that puts the ball on the green and it rolls up for a makeable putt, Ellen's stellar chip ins and your iron shots that look like they get rocket boosted in mid-air.

I will think fondly of our games at Glenway, Bar Creek and even Pheasant Run when the water hazards were so cold they were frozen!  

What have I learned from you? I'm going to golf more, hone my culinary skills, take up tennis and really enjoy life as much as I can, because you just don't know when the curtain calls

I promise to try my best and take your place on the golf course with Ellen.

Love you always and thanks for being in my life.

Valerie aka Fairway Jones

PS will you please still send me a Jacquie Lawson card at Christmas?

As one of Keith's former wives, I wish to extend my deepest sympathy to his sisters Heather and Karen, to Al Formosa and to Ellen.
 
Keith was a unique individual who lived life to the fullest and excelled in everything he did.  I loved Keith dearly and have nothing but respect and admiration for him; he was a very good man with a kind heart who had a profound influence on me.
 
I will always cherish the happy times we spent together.  My memories included Sunday morning tennis matches, wonderful dinner parties with friends and family and the trips we took together.  Over the years Keith maintained a close friendship with my twin sister Leslie which was truly appreciated.
 
Keith left this earth way too soon however his spirit will live on in all of the people's lives he touched.

I was shocked to hear about the passing of my brother in-law. I last spoke to Keith in March to wish him a happy birthday and we planned to get together this summer when he was back from his business travels.
Keith was someone I greatly admired given all his talents (sports/cooking/photography etc), intellect, sense of humour, positive attitude towards life, encouragement and kind heart. He was an inspiration to me  and was always there for me when I needed someone to talk to on a variety of subjects.
My condolences to Heather and Karen, their families, his first wife, his second wife (my sister Laurie) and Ellen who I met many years ago at Waterfront.
This really is a tragic loss as you had so much more life in you to live- to enjoy more golf, fun travel and not business travel.
To the best brother in-law anyone could have. Please RIP.
Given the late hour will add some photos tomorrow.
Love,
Leslie

Originally a work acquaintance, who became a long time friend of over 23 years.  Keith was truly a unique individual. I will remember Keith as someone with a love of learning and the ability to master anything he set his mind to.  The most focused and disciplined person I know.  Keith was generous and giving, had a wonderful sense of humour, was a teacher and mentor (especially when it came to cooking, wine, music, reading and golf).  Thank you Keith for your wonderful friendship over the years.  You will not be forgotten.  My heartfelt condolences to Keith's family, friends and to Ellen.

Cheers Keith.  I will miss you my dear friend.

T.

Jay and I met Keith 22 yrs ago (when he and Ellen started dating) and we were immediately impressed! An accomplished, passionate, yet humble person with a zest for life and an amazing sense of humour (just like Ellen!). We clicked instantly and spent many great times together - Jazz at The Senator, dining at each other's homes, dining out and we introduced Keith and Ellen to Ellicottville, NY. He will be missed but will live on in fond memories - our love goes out to our good friend Ellen and condolences to Keith's family during this tragic time.

Our sincere condolences to Keith's family from the team at Sun Life Financial.  Many of us have worked with Keith for over 20 years, during his time with CWI, and have come to appreciate the partnership he promoted between our organizations, his in-depth knowledge of the Group Benefits business and his unique sense of humour (including the many Alexander Keith's and Formosa Springs beer trades we negotiated). We are truly thankful for the opportunity to have known Keith in his many roles as a collaborator, sometimes as a mentor and often as a friend.  He will be missed.

From the Business and IT teams at Sun Life Financial.

My heart goes out to you, Ellen, and to Keith's family, for this shocking loss.  Please know that you are loved.  xoxo

My condolences to Ellen, family and friends.  Keith's intensity on the tennis court where I met him was definitely matched by his drive to excel at work and enjoy life.  He was a good friend to all those fortunate enough to have known him.

Keith and Ellen at his absolute favourite golf course: Cabot Links

Ellen, I was so shocked and saddened to hear about Keith. He was one of those extraordinary people you meet only once in a lifetime. I know I speak for all of his old tennis buddies in extending my most heartfelt condolences.

Dearest Ellen, I am so very sorry to hear of your loss.  Although I never had the pleasure of meeting Keith your joy in your life with him was evident in every note received.  Our sincere condolences to you and Keith's family and friends.

Ellen...our deepest sympathy. What a shock for you. Our thoughts are with you. Maybe we will meet at the symphony again. Much love, Rick and Vickiexxxx

We only met you once many years ago, Keith, but all the joy, intellectual stimulation & laughter you brought to dearest Ellen over the years indicates what a truly fine man you were. She deserved the best & seems to have had it. Ellen, you are in our thoughts daily & we send our deepest sympathy & all our love to you, our amazing friend. xoxo

I am so very sorry to learn of Keith's passing. My husband and I have such fond memories of his and Ellen's visit to New York many years ago. What wonderful energy and charm and passion he shared with us and our two young daughters. It was the first time I had met a motorcycle enthusiast - so fascinating. And this was only one of his many interests. It was such a delight to meet him, and to follow the many other wonderful adventures he and Ellen shared over the years.   

My sincere condolences to Ellen and to Keith's family on this tragic loss. My heart is so very sad. 

With sympathy,

Keith, I will miss seeing you every season. I will miss our chats about politics, business and especially golf. You were my favorite client and you taught me much about my business. Ironically I just scored my first eagle today with the clubs you gave me last year.I was just going to call and tell you all about it when I was told this devastating news. You will be missed.

I only met Keith a few times but every time was a treat. I always felt like I was special. He had a ready smile and was always up for a stimulating conversation. He was extremely generous and was a wonderful partner for Ellen. I will miss seeing his smiling face. I love you Ellen and will always be thinking of you. I send you all my strength and love.   (Vancouver, B.C.)

I'm so very sorry to hear of Keith's passing. I worked with him for many years; he was thoughtful and encouraging always. Keith will missed. My deepest condolences to Ellen and the family.

My parents used to refer to Keith as their Number One Son (Note: he was their only son).
We (my sister and I) just affectionately called him "No.1."

Many of us have someone in our lives who we look up to and who holds an extra special place in our hearts. A mentor, a teacher, or a family member. In my case, it was all three rolled into one  my brother. Six years my senior, he took me under his wing many, many times. He introduced me to jazz music, specifically Thelonious Monk and I still have the tapes he gave me (back in the day when we listened to tape cassettes!) well over three decades ago. Then he gave me two book recommendations for my must read list: The Prophet, by Khalil Gibran and Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. I read them and I was not disappointed.

He taught me how to appreciate Single Malt Scotch (Lagavulin, at the time).
We both enjoyed a good cigar.
And fine wine.
Wine was a household staple.

But, what I loved about him the most was that he spoke with his eyes (note the twinkle in his eyes in the photo).
I will miss him every day of my life and each night, as I drink my nightcap of Scotch (the Scottish prefer to call it "Whisky" and not "Scotch"), I will raise my glass to him. 
I would like to think that he's jamming on a saxophone with Thelonious and having an animated philosophical discussion with Ayn.
Cheers to you, Keith.... a.k.a. No.1.

Keith's light shone so brightly over so many fields. I live in the UK and only had the pleasure of meeting with him occasionally, so I could only glimpse the peripherals of his diverse talents. At those times I saw a man whose brilliant mind could see, understand and implement so much. 
Keith was brave & fearless, astute & intelligent and skilled & precise. These qualities inspired others too.
His talents have been a pleasure to behold and admire, both at close quarters and from afar.

Dearest Keith, it is so difficult to believe you are gone and I am grateful for the many lovely times I spent with you and Ellen. You were such a good chef and a convivial and entertaining host, with a very amusing sense of humour. You seemed to fit more into your too-short life than most people and managed to excel at everything you did. I was glad to know you were so happy playing golf and playing so well lately, not an easy thing to achieve. You will be sorely missed.

Ellen, so sorry for your loss.  I only had the opportunity of meeting Keith a couple of times but know that he will truly be missed. He was your travel companion, golf buddy, Partner & Best Friend.
My deepest sympathies.

22 years is a formidable amount of time for a relationship.  This is what Keith and Ellen enjoyed.  They offered each other intelligent content,shared enthusiasms, fun, humor, love and more.  Seems as though when it's this good, there should be a way to just keep on going.

Charming, brilliant, generous, funny.  My dear Keith, you had so many wonderful qualities and talents.  You were endlessly entertaining and engaging.  I have wonderful memories such as the night you taught me about good scotch and the great dinners and fun times we all had together.  You are gone far too soon.  There were so many more greens to putt with your dear Ellen.  So long friend.

OBITUARY

Keith Formosa

Passed away on JUNE 30, 2015

Thompson Funeral Home

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