Keith William Nesbitt

Keith William Nesbitt, 89, peacefully entered into the arms of the Lord on September 15th, 2019, surrounded by family.
Born in Montreal on January 14th, 1930, the son of the late Laura ( Davis) and Bill Nesbitt, Keith was predeceased by his brother Gordon. Keith was a loving uncle to many nieces and nephews.
Keith grew up in both Morin Heights, where he developed a lifetime passion for skiing, and on his grandmother's farm in Rosemont, Montreal. Hard work, gardening, and animal husbandry contributed to his love of the outdoors. He had the gift of natural kinship with all animals, particularly dogs and horses.
Keith raised three children with his late first wife Aurora ( Laura) in Montreal while working for the Montreal Star and the Canadian Si Association. They spent their holidays and weekends enjoying many outdoor activities around his parents' home in Morin Heights, in other parts of the Laurentians, and in the Eastern Townships. For years he was a ski patroller and broadcast a ski report on radio every weekend.
Keith's lifetime involvement with the sport of skiing began with decades of volunteer work, starting in Morin Heights in 1946 . He profoundly influenced the course of alpine ski competitions in Canada. In 1967 he became Executive Director of the Canadian Ski Association, a position he held for ten productive years. In recognition of his contributions to the sport of skiing, he was inducted into the Canadian Si Hall of Fame in 1991. Later he served as Chairman of the Canadian Ski Museum. He was also the Executive Director of the Canadian Weightlifting Federation for a few years.
After moving to the Ottawa area, Keith married his second wife, Linda, and raised two more children. They spent several wonderful years living in the heritage Meech Lake house in the Gatineau hills. While living there, he was able to continue enjoying his love of nature, horse back riding, skiing and canoeing. Keith and Linda took great satisfaction in building a stable for horses, beehives, and creating large gardens at Meech Lakes. They were fortunate in owning a ski chalet at Mont Tremblant which gave them, their family, and friends great joy.
In that time period Keith worked as a realtor, helping families buy and sell their homes. He was a member of Kiwanis, served on the Board of Directors for Kings Daughters and Sons after delivering Meals on Wheels for years, and was active in his church.
Keith and Linda, a very social couple, took great pleasure in entertaining friends and family. Wintering in Texas in the Rio Grande Valley for over a decade enhanced their lifestyle. Loved by everyone he met, Keith was known for his charisma, sense of humour, easy going kind nature, and handsome smile.
Keith is survived by his loving wife Linda, his five wonderful children Karen, Brian ( Cindy), Sandy ( Christie Sue), Krista ( James) and Andrea ( Jeremy) . His eight dear grandchildren are Lee, Laurel and Patrick, Braedon and Landon, Grace and Olivia, and Emmet. His two precious great children are Riley and Grace.
Keith's Celebration of Life will be held at 3:30 on Monday, October 28th at Calvary Christian Reformed Church, 3782 Russell Road, K1G 3N2. Visitation is from 2:00 p.m. until the 3:30 service. All are invited to visit at the reception after.
Donations in memory of Keith can be made to the Osgoode Care Centre to support this outstanding nursing home, which is a registered charity. Sincere thanks to the team there who provided excellent comfort and care to Keith in his final months.