Keith FREER

LCol Keith W. Freer MMM, CD
1936 - 2014
Keith quietly passed away at VGH on April 25, 2014 at age 78. A real gentleman, Keith was kind, supportive and generous with his time and will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. He leaves behind to mourn his loss, his sister Sheila Edwards and her children and grandchildren in Australia and New Zealand, his Vancouver cousin Jeanette Leitch; his longtime Nanaimo friend Jan James; and his extended family in the Canadian Military; as well as cousins, friends and colleagues worldwide. Keith's military life was the part he treasured most, an involvement which spanned more than sixty years. Following cadet service while attending George Watson's College in Edinburgh, Scotland, Keith completed his British National Service in the Royal Signals regiment before accepting employment with a Canadian bank which brought him to the west coast of BC. He settled in Vancouver after working in small communities throughout BC and the Yukon. After arriving in BC, Keith enrolled in RC Signals Militia and rose from Private soldier to Commanding Officer in 744 (Vancouver) Communications Squadron. Keith was created a Member of the Order of Military Merit in 1973 while still a Non Commissioned Officer. Retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, Keith continued his military involvement through service organizations including the Royal United Services Institute of Vancouver and the Defence Associations National Network. Keith served as President of the Army Cadet League of Canada - BC Branch in the 1990s and remained active with the league. He regarded his young cadets as his substitute family. For service to community and country Keith was awarded each of the Queen's Jubilee medals, silver in 1977, gold in 2002 and diamond in 2012. Early retirement from the bank enabled Keith to travel widely, particularly enjoying train travel to historic sites and ocean voyages that allowed him to experience many fascinating places and learn much about our world. He enjoyed several visits with family in Australia keeping ties close despite the geographic separation. Sheila's children and grandchildren retain a deep fondness for him and many happy memories. Grateful thanks to the caring staff at VGH. For information on the memorial gathering for Keith please contact news15rca@shaw.ca.