Obituary of Howard William James Keep

Howard William James Keep passed away unexpectedly on July 22, 2025, at University Hospital, London, at the age of 82. He is survived by his sons, Christopher, Terry, and Patrick; their spouses, Krista, Heather, and Mirru; his grandchildren, Alexander and Mitchell; and by Carlos and Diego, who joined the family when Pat and Mirru married. Howard was predeceased by his wife, Lorraine; his adoptive parents, Ernest and Hazel Keep; his biological parents, Lloyd James and Rhoda Whitney; and his sister, Barbara.

Howard was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, where he graduated from St. Catharines Collegiate in 1961, and married the love of his life, Lorraine Dianne Longhurst, the following year. The couple had three boys and Howard provided for his young and growing family with a succession of jobs, first on the assembly line in an auto plant, and then in financing. He found his true passion, however, in the car business. In the sixties and seventies, he moved quickly from selling new and used cars for dealerships in London to management roles in St. Catharines and Hamilton, before running his own businesses, first as owner and operator of Keep Ford Sales in Delaware and then London All-Makes Leasing. Following his time in car sales and leasing, he served as President and CEO of International Technology Funding, a company that specialized in the financing of equipment for pulp paper molding. Prior to his retirement, Howard continued to be active in finance, focusing mainly on commercial real estate.

A successful businessman, Howard was also a loving husband and father and a valued mentor—the Keep household was a busy nexus of boyish activity and Howard could always be counted on when someone was in need. For the past three years, he served as primary caregiver for Lorraine, who required near constant attendance. He performed this task with dedication, and supported her when she decided to seek assistance in dying, just four months ago. One of life’s great salesmen, a gold medalist in rowing, and a man who had his own way with words, he will be much missed. “Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’ / We are not now that strength which in old days / Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; / One equal temper of heroic hearts, / Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will / To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield” — Tennyson.