Handsome, hard worker, loved the outdoors, genuine, kind
Keith was a hard worker, very giving and always there to help with anything. He couldn’t say no to anyone and was sometimes taken advantage of as a result. He was polite, caring, kind and honest and just a little bit ornery. He could be quiet until you got to know him, but would eventually open up. He was down to earth and authentic, and according to his mom, he had the longest eyelashes ever!
Keith loved to go deer hunting with his dad, ride four wheelers and help his friend work on cars, doing basic maintenance like replacing brakes and fuel pumps. He went to school for welding and was good at it. He had some welding jobs but also did landscaping and was known for being strong as an ox, often carrying several 20 lbs. bags of water softener salt on his shoulders at one time.
Keith always had the intention of getting married, having a family, a nice truck and a home he could call his own. He started camping with his mom and dad when he was ten and really enjoyed it. He talked about getting a camper so he could be with his parents, but have his own space near theirs. The last time the family went camping was the Labor Day weekend before Keith died. He rode around the campground on a golf cart, listened to the band playing, and sat around the campfire shooting the breeze and just relaxing. When his mom asked if he had a good time he said, “Sure.” He rarely said yes, just “sure.”
“Keith loved to tease,” his mom said, ‘because I am short, he called me munchkin. He knew I didn’t drive a stick, but he would ask if I wanted to move his car, knowing she couldn’t. He would yell from the living room to the kitchen, “Mom- Dad’s hitting me,” of course he wasn’t but he liked to get a rise out of her.
Something his mom really misses is Keith walking in the house and yelling to her, “Hey Mother.” She would answer “Hey Soner.” He loved sweets and always asked her when she was going to bake something or cook for him. She remembers his last meal with her; homemade waffles and sausage. He rarely said anything about the food she served, but this time he said Ummm and then said it again.
When Keith was in active addiction, life was terrible for his mom and dad. The hardest part was the lying, stealing and his inability to keep a job. When he wasn’t heard from or didn’t answer phone calls or texts, his mom and dad were worried sick. When Keith got in trouble, his dad would always help. Keith told his friends, “My dad’s got my back.” “It was hard to know just how much was helpful and how much was enabling, his mom said, but you do what you do out of love.”
Keith’s mother, Debbie Robson, provided the information for this narrative.
April 3, 1990-September 20, 2019
Age 29-Lived with addiction 7 years
