Keith Storey

STOREY, Woodrow “Keith” Born February 19, 1942 ~ May 29, 2026. Aged 84 years.

             (Woodrow) Keith Storey, beloved husband of Jean Marie Storey, passed away peacefully on May 29^th, 2026, at the age of 84 years in Grandview, Manitoba. 

             Keith was born on February 19^th, 1942, at the Grandview Hospital to Woodrow and Ida Storey.  He and his three siblings grew up on the family farm, which was a mix of grain, cattle, pigs, chickens and vegetables, located 5 miles east of Grandview.  The mornings were early, the days were long and the work was hard.  But he loved every minute of working outside with his hands.  It was on the farm that Keith grew to appreciate the early morning sunrises and sense of calm and quiet.  To him it was the best part of the day, where everything started anew and anything was possible.

             At the age of 17, he ventured west to Alberta to work on the oil rigs.  It was there in Barrhead that he went on a blind date and met his future wife, the love of his life, Jean Marie Donahue (who was working as a nurse at the time).  After a quick engagement they were married shortly thereafter in Renfrew, Ontario (Jean’s hometown) on April 28, 1962.  After marriage Keith and Jean moved back to Alberta for 3 more years where Keith continued on with the oil rigs and Jean continued to nurse.

             But by then the call of the farm was too strong to ignore. In 1965, Keith and Jean moved back to Grandview and built their forever family home ½ mile from where he grew up.

             In January of 1968, Keith and Jean welcomed their first son, Curtis, into their lives and in April of 1973, their home was further enriched by their second son Mark.  He was a proud father to both boys.

             In 1966, Keith took a seasonal position with the Rural Municipality of Grandview working winters and with Stirling Enterprises working summers. In 1972, Keith was offered full time work with both the RM and Stirlings, ultimately deciding to work for the RM.  He operated all types of equipment while with the RM.  He was mainly a grader operator but also ran the scraper, excavator and dozer.  In 1997, Keith was offered, and accepted, the role of RM Foreman where he stayed until his retirement.  Keith worked tirelessly and with many long hours and weekends for the RM, ensuring that whatever he did it would be for the betterment of the RM as a whole.  He decided to retire in 2007, after a 35-year career.

             Upon his move back home to the farm in 1965, and during his employment with the RM, Keith continued to farm, both grain and cattle, with his dad and brother.  Upon retirement from the RM, he continued to farm full time until 2016, when he and Jean decided to step away from the active farm life, selling the equipment and renting the land.  However, the RM beckoned once more and Keith decided to run for RM Council in 2014, where he served 2 terms.

             He was an avid curler and baseball player as a teenager and young adult. He enjoyed going to Grandview Comet games, the old-time small-town country dances, long drives in the country checking crops and road conditions or simply the scenery, long talks with Jean each morning, visiting with friends and family, a good game or two of cards and his dog Roxy.

             Keith’s life was marked by a steady and supportive presence in the lives of all that he knew, especially his family.  He was always genuinely happy for his family and friends when they accomplished any milestone event in their lives. He was a lifelong teacher who imparted whatever he could to whoever wanted his advice. He simply wanted people to succeed.  He was also a lifelong student who always wanted to learn more each and every day.  He always said it was a poor day when you didn’t learn something new.  He was a man who had a strong work ethic and took pride in doing whatever he did to the best of his abilities.  He believed that you don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today, that the only way to get something done is to get it done.

             Keith was a larger-than-life presence that filled every room that he was in with love, laughter and joy.  He was a man of strength and integrity as well as a man of kindness.  He will be missed by everyone who knew him.

             His greatest pride and joy were his family, especially his wife Jean.  She was the center of his world, his rock.  She was everything to him and he often said that he would have been lost without her.  Jean was the love of his life, and he cherished each and every day of their 64 years together.

             Keith is lovingly remembered by his wife Jean, sons Mark and Curtis (Debbie), grandchildren Jenna and Christie, brother Kip (Karen), sister Donna, brother-in-law Pat (Loretta), sisters-in-law Helen (Tony), Shirley, Loretta, Marlene and Diane along with many nieces, nephews (and spouses) and cousins. Keith was pre-deceased by his parents Woodrow and Ida along with sister Ramona, brothers-in-law Everett, Brian, Rene, Brian and Leonard.

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