Keith, Josephine
Keith, Josephine (née Beard)
May 28, 1935 - September 5, 2026Josephine passed away peacefully at her home in Burlington, Ontario, on September 5, 2026, in her 92nd year.
She is lovingly remembered by her children, Mary Keith and James Keith, their spouses Brian Dick and Annette Bradfield, and her grandsons, Owen and Evan Dick. She was recently predeceased by her beloved husband, Clayton Keith.
Josephine was born on May 28, 1935, and raised in Oshawa, Ontario, where she met Clayton, her high school sweetheart. They married in 1957 and shared their lives together for close to 70 years.
Following Josephine’s graduation as an RN from the University of Toronto, the young couple settled in Ottawa, where they started a family. Shortly after, Josephine lost her hearing to meningitis, but she never let this slow her down. She became a remarkable lip reader and continued to work as a public health nurse until her retirement.
Josephine was passionate about women's reproductive rights. At a time when access to birth control in Canada was still restricted by law, she worked at a clinic operating out of a church basement. With her characteristic sense of humour, Josephine later remarked that she was pretty sure the church didn't know exactly what they were doing down there.
Josephine loved to travel, and she and Clayton saw much of the world together. She also treasured time spent at the family cottage on Sharbot Lake and at what they came to think of as their second home in Mesa, Arizona.
She adored the theatre and was a regular attendee at both the Stratford and Shaw festivals, while also enthusiastically supporting theatre at home in Ottawa, from the National Arts Centre to the Ottawa Little Theatre. Her family remembers her poring over library copies of every play she was planning to attend.
Josephine loved animals and the outdoors, and had a deep curiosity about the world, especially the people in it.
Above all, Josephine was compassionate, warm and gregarious. She had a natural ability to engage with everyone she met, and was genuinely interested in the people around her. She never forgot a name.
Her intelligence, humour and generosity of spirit will be deeply missed by her family and by the many people whose lives she touched.
At Josephine's request, those wishing to make a donation in her memory are encouraged to support Canadian Wildlife Federation (cwf-fcf.org).
