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KEVAN, Martin Keith
To a consummate and polyvalent Montrealer, talented writer and actor, raconteur with your embracive and humanitarian approach to life, family and friends, Adieu.
Martin was born in Nairobi, Kenya on 19 March, 1947 to Kathleen and Keith Kevan. He died after a mercifully brief battle with cancer in Montreal 1 May, 2013 as spring erupted hugely.
The Kevan family left England for Canada in May, 1958. Martin attended Macdonald High School in Ste-Anne de Bellevue, QC and then studied Commerce at McGill University. It was at McGill that his love of the stage and literature bloomed. His acting included major roles on stage and screen.
He was the lead as a paraplegic in the 1978 NFB film "Happiness is Loving your Teacher" in which his performance was so convincing that, although nominated as 'best actor', he was passed over for full recognition: it was assumed he was paraplegic. He played the difficult lead in the nightmarish TV docudrama "Un Tueur si Proche" (2004) about the troubled professor V. Fabrikant of Concordia University. He has credits for numerous film, TV and radio productions in English and French. His collaboration with CBC in producing "The Music of New France" won 'most imaginative radio show' in New York.
On stage, in "Panique à Longeuil" (1980), he played Fred et le rat. He acted with Centaur Theatre Company in "La Bête" (1994) and "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" (1998) as well as with other troupes in dramatic and humorous roles. His most recent acting challenges have been portraying the evil Dr. Earnhardt in the animated computer game series "Far Cry" by UbiSoft.
His novel, "Racing Tides" (1982) received international attention. He read from it for a week on CBC's Morningside with Peter Gzowski. In 1992, his eclectically informative guidebook "The Best of Montreal and Quebec" was published and quickly sold out. He wrote short stories, poetry, essays and translations, for magazines and reviews. At Concordia University he shared his talent in teaching creative writing. Moreover, his generosity extended to helping others with writing scripts, memoires, and translations.
Martin is remembered dearly by his mother Kaye, brother Peter (and his wife Sherrere), nephews Colin and Grafton (Peter's sons), nieces Jordan and Andrea and their mother Brenda, wife of Martin's deceased brother Simon. He is missed also by his wide circle of friends across the globe.
To the friends and relatives of Martin Kevan -
Aux amis et membres de la famille de Martin Kevan
A funeral ceremony and celebration of the life of Martin Kevan will be held on Friday, May 10th at 6 p.m. at the Church of Saint-Enfant-Jésus du Mile-End at 5039 rue St. Dominique (bt Blvds. Laurier and St. Joseph). A friendly gathering will follow.
Direction : Complexe Lapointe-Coopérative de Montréal, 514-303-4888
Published in Montreal Gazette on May 4, 2013
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