Alayne Keough
1946 – 2009
The funeral service for my friend Alayne Keough has now been set for Monday March 9 at 2 p.m. at Vancouver's Unitarian Church at 949 W 49th Ave. and Oak St. Here is her obituary which will run in several newspapers here and in Nova Scotia tomorrow.
Details are below that about a special fund set up in Alayne's name that will use donations to fight poverty and keep social advocacy alive.
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Alayne Keough
1946 – 2009
Alayne was born on Boxing Day, 1946 in Sydney, NS. She lived a full life, in Sydney, in Antigonish while at St FX, in Halifax, and since 1973, in Vancouver with her husband of 33 years, David Hopgood. She passed away on Monday, March 2nd, of complications due to lung cancer, at home with David.
She is survived by her husband and their three children, Amber, Elizabeth and Stephen as well as her son Denis Fricker and grandaughter Taylor; in addition, her siblings, Fran (Al), Jack, Ron, and Jerry Pat (Kathy).
Alayne will be remembered for many things. She raised three beautiful children. Her love and passion for them urged her to become involved in their school and her community. She became very involved, eventually serving as the Chair of the Vancouver School Consultative Committee. She was instrumental in stopping the spread of big box houses in Kitsilano and recently worked to help preserve the trees along West Broadway.
She was active in politics as President of the Kits Point Grey NDP, was on the NDP provincial executive and sat on their provincial council. Up until her death she was Co-chair of the West Kits Residents Association.
In her work life she followed the path of advocating for the poor and disadvantaged working at Tenants’ Rights Action Committee (TRAC), the Downtown Eastside Residents’ Association (DERA) and BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC). She stopped working shortly after being diagnosed with lung cancer in June 2008. She fought this scourge valiantly, never complaining, until Monday.
Many may remember Alayne walking her white boxer, Kyra, a gift from Amber when she moved to Toronto. In addition to her work in the community, Alayne was an accomplished cook, as evidenced by the smiling faces when they tasted her food, both in her home, and when she managed to fit in a few catering jobs in her spare time. She has attended every Vancouver Folk Festival since its inception, arriving very early to hold a place for the “runner”, and has one child that has been there for every one of her 29 years.
A summer vacation in NS, especially on the beach at Ingonish, has been a highlight most years and Alayne has many dear friends in that beautiful province. Alayne’s ashes will be spread on both coasts.
Visitation/viewing will be on Monday, March 9th from 12:30 – 2:00 in the Fireside Rm. at the Unitarian Church located at 949 W 49th Ave. at Oak St, Vancouver, B.C. There will be a service starting at 2:00, with a reception to follow.
A fund in Alayne’s name has been set up with the Vancity Community Foundation.
Alayne was born on Boxing Day, 1946 in Sydney, NS. She lived a full life, in Sydney, in Antigonish while at St FX, in Halifax, and since 1973, in Vancouver with her husband of 33 years, David Hopgood. She passed away on Monday, March 2nd, of complications due to lung cancer, at home with David.
She is survived by her husband and their three children, Amber, Elizabeth and Stephen as well as her son Denis Fricker and grandaughter Taylor; in addition, her siblings, Fran (Al), Jack, Ron, and Jerry Pat (Kathy).
Alayne will be remembered for many things. She raised three beautiful children. Her love and passion for them urged her to become involved in their school and her community. She became very involved, eventually serving as the Chair of the Vancouver School Consultative Committee. She was instrumental in stopping the spread of big box houses in Kitsilano and recently worked to help preserve the trees along West Broadway.
She was active in politics as President of the Kits Point Grey NDP, was on the NDP provincial executive and sat on their provincial council. Up until her death she was Co-chair of the West Kits Residents Association.
In her work life she followed the path of advocating for the poor and disadvantaged working at Tenants’ Rights Action Committee (TRAC), the Downtown Eastside Residents’ Association (DERA) and BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC). She stopped working shortly after being diagnosed with lung cancer in June 2008. She fought this scourge valiantly, never complaining, until Monday.
Many may remember Alayne walking her white boxer, Kyra, a gift from Amber when she moved to Toronto. In addition to her work in the community, Alayne was an accomplished cook, as evidenced by the smiling faces when they tasted her food, both in her home, and when she managed to fit in a few catering jobs in her spare time. She has attended every Vancouver Folk Festival since its inception, arriving very early to hold a place for the “runner”, and has one child that has been there for every one of her 29 years.
A summer vacation in NS, especially on the beach at Ingonish, has been a highlight most years and Alayne has many dear friends in that beautiful province. Alayne’s ashes will be spread on both coasts.
Visitation/viewing will be on Monday, March 9th from 12:30 – 2:00 in the Fireside Rm. at the Unitarian Church located at 949 W 49th Ave. at Oak St, Vancouver, B.C. There will be a service starting at 2:00, with a reception to follow.
A fund in Alayne’s name has been set up with the Vancity Community Foundation.
Instead of flowers we urge you to donate towards the Alayne Keough Fund to keep her fight against poverty and for social advocacy alive: make cheques payable to Vancity Community Foundation, Alayne Keough Fund, PO Box 2120, Station Terminal, Vancouver V6B 5R8, or contact Calvin Fong at calvin_fong@vancity.com, phone 604-877-7241.
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