Keith HEMING

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HEMING: Keith Heming, C.M., Q.C. (1943-2016). With deep sadness, the family of Keith Ian Munro Heming announces his passing at Victoria General Hospital in Winnipeg after a courageous battle with cancer on July 5, 2016 at 72 years of age. He is survived by his loving wife Janet and his children Kimberley, Christopher, Kevin, and step-son Jeff Konwalchuk and their spouses and partners Jason Valen, Annette Heming, and Kim Matyas. He is also survived by granddaughters Jacy, Nicole, Shelby, Mya and Madeline and grandsons Hayden, Cameron and Jacob, his brother Michael F. Blair, his sister Peggy J. Blair and several nieces and nephews. He will be sorely missed by his Aunt Valda Manning and cousins Debra and Peter in Australia. His father Keith Ronald Heming, his mother Peggy Blair, his step-father James R. Blair, his brother Leigh R. Blair, and his cousin Elizabeth Cox McDonald predeceased him. Keith was born November 2, 1943 in London, England during the Second World War. His father, serving with the Australian Air Force, was killed in action over Germany shortly before Keith’s birth. His mother married Roderick Blair, then serving with the RCAF in 1944, and the family moved to Canada in March 1945. Keith lived in several provinces during his formative years, as his step-father was posted from air base to air base. After working at National Trust for several years, Keith entered University of Manitoba Law School in 1973 as a mature student, supporting his young family while attending classes and graduating with honours. Following graduation and articling, he moved to Killarney, Manitoba where he eventually established his general practice. This was very important to Keith as he yearned to give his family the opportunity to grow roots, something he himself did not have. While in Killarney he was a proud active member of the Kinsmen Club and participated in many community volunteer activities. As well as serving as the President of the Chamber of Commerce, his most notable accomplishment was the establishment of the Killarney Foundation Inc. in 1979. He served as Secretary- Treasurer of the foundation from its inception until his passing. He was also honoured to receive the appointment of Queen’s Counsel in 1989 and was awarded with the Order of Canada for voluntarism in 1999. Keith was also the recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. His family pride knows no bounds. In 1997 Keith retired from his legal practice and was appointed Executive Director of The Municipal Board of Manitoba and later to The Board of Revision for the City of Winnipeg. In 2010, he was appointed by the Federal Cabinet to the National Parole Board (now the Parole Board of Canada). He was an active member of this board until the time of his passing. He was also a Board Member of the Community Foundations of Canada for several years. Keith was well known throughout southern Manitoba for his dedication to the Community Foundation movement and his desire to strengthen smaller communities and help make them a “better place to live”. Keith loved to play baseball and continued to curl, play golf and spend time with his family until his illness overtook him. He was very proud of his children’s accomplishments and adored his grandchildren, taking every opportunity to visit with them in Winnipeg, Saskatchewan and North Dakota. Keith loved to travel. It was important to visit family whenever he could, including visiting his father’s homeland in Australia to keep a connection with his distant family. He was fiercely proud of his father whom he never met, and made sure he visited him at The Royal Air Force Riechswald Forest War Cemetery in Kleve Germany prior to his passing. Keith was an avid gardener, and it was an honour that he was aware prior to his passing that there was a dedication to build a park named “Keith’s Korner” in Killarney Manitoba for the devotion he had for this community. Killarney was important to Keith, just as he was to Killarney. He was a great man, but more importantly, he was a great father. Funeral services will be held in Killarney Manitoba on Friday, July 22nd, 2016, 1:00 pm at the United Church, 432 Williams Avenue. As it was Keith’s dream to support the Killarney Foundation, for those wishing to extend a memorial offering, please consider honouring him with a donation made out to the scholarship fund established by Keith at The Killarney Foundation Inc, P.O. Box 1180, Killarney, Manitoba, R0K 1G0.

As published in Brandon Sun on Jul 16, 2016