Keith Braden

BRADEN, Ronald “Keith”

April 5, 1936 - June 1, 2015

At his home on Monday, June 1, 2015, Keith Braden passed away at the age of 79 years.

Keith was born April 5, 1936 in Portage la Prairie, the middle son of Harold and Jessie (Davis) Braden. He was predeceased by his father (1988); mother (1996); parents-in-law, Neil MacNair (1994) and May (Nisbet) (1997); wife, May (MacNair) (1987); younger brother, Allan (2001); sister-in-law, Mae (Jim) MacNair (2008), brothers-in-law, Dave Dyck (2004), Gordon Rutter (2007), Murray Coates (2003), and Walter Coates (2007). He leaves to mourn his passing three sons, Douglas, Kelly (Dawne), and Gary (Lara); seven grandchildren, Scott, Cole (Courtney), Keon, Saige, Kaitlyn, Kaylee, and Erica; and three great-grandchildren, Gemma, Jace, and Hanna; brother Roy (Sharon); wife Rita; daughter-in-law Eleanor; sisters-in-law Leora (Allan) Braden, Roberta (Dave) Dyck, Isabel (Gordon)  Rutter and Elsie (Murray) Coates; brothers-in-law, Jim (Mae) MacNair and Neil (Linda) MacNair, and many nieces and nephews.

Keith received most of his schooling in Portage la Prairie, but left high school in 1957 to work for the Hudson Bay Company in Northern Manitoba. Keith met May MacNair of Graysville, MB in Norway House in 1960, where she was teaching. They were married in 1961, moved to Poplar River, MB, where Keith managed the HBC store, and started a family.

Keith left the HBC in 1967 and went to Barber College in Brandon. Following college, he returned to Portage and worked at Cochlan’s and Busby’s barber shops before starting his own business in 1974. Keith retired in 1996, but continued to cut hair at his residence for friends and family until 2012.

Keith was a baseball coach for his young boys and a Cub Scout leader for 29 years and shared Scouting duties with his wife, May, for the last 19 years of his service. He enjoyed playing men’s slow pitch ball with the Daily Graphic and Wintergreen teams for many years, and golfed at Southport Golf Club. He began square dancing with May in the early 1970’s and continued square dancing with Rita into this millennia. He was a neighborhood handyman, helping with snow shoveling, lawn mowing, and other tasks. Summer vacations were spent camping, canoeing and fishing with his family.

After May’s passing in 1987, Keith married Rita Tolmie in 1989. He and Rita enjoyed retirement by attending many fiddle festivals and old time dances across the province, golfing, and camping. In 2004, Rita moved to Okanagan Falls to be closer to her children Wendy, Shelley, Greg, and Honey, and her grandchildren, Jorde, Jessie, Autumn, and Aaron, and great-grandchildren, Emma and Conner.

The family would like to express the deepest thanks to Portage Home Care nurses for their devoted service, and to Dr. Macklem.

Viewing and visitation will take place on Sunday, June 7, 2015 from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm.  A Celebration of Keith’s Life will be held on Monday, June 8, 2015, at 2:00 pm at McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel. Interment will take place at Evergreen Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba, c/o Catherine Newham – Portage Office, 103 Wilkinson Crescent, Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 1A7 or  to Central Plains Cancer Care Services, 318 Saskatchewan Ave. E., Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 0K8.

A tree will be planted in memory and cared for by McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel.  204-857-4021 www.mckenziesportagefuneralchapel.com