We Remember

KEEHN, Darby William

It is with great sadness that we must announce the passing of Darby William Keehn, born in Kelowna, BC on December 23, 1966, passed away in Kelowna, BC on March 25, 2022, after a short battle with cancer that took him away from us unexpectedly soon.

Darby’s family lived in Kelowna, BC until he was 6 months old, at which time they moved to New Brunswick.  From a young age he knew he wanted to choose his own path and he did just that.  When Darby became an adult, he moved away from Dorchester, NB to Thunder Bay, Ontario, spent many summers with close friends in Kenora, ON, and eventually made his way back to BC, reconnecting with family members who still lived there. He lived in Salmon Arm, then Enderby, spending his final weeks in Kelowna. He made many lifelong friends along the way.  His friends and close family members love and remember him as a great guy who would do anything for anybody. He had a fun, Monte Python style, sense of humour; and accepted people for who they were. Darby loved fly fishing, tying his own lures, hunting, riding motorcycles, 4 x 4ing, listening to a wide variety of music, attending concerts, playing his banjo, throwing darts, watching football, birdwatching, and his pet birds.  He loved spending time with family and friends, appreciated nature, and very much enjoyed identifying and photographing many species of birds.

In his early 30s, Darby was injured in a construction accident.  He also sustained injuries from three motorcycle accidents during his life.  He recovered from the motorcycle accidents but had lasting pain from his construction injury.  He was no longer able to work in construction, so he started his own businesses, most notably his catering business that specialized in pig roasts.  He loved his work, which allowed him to be outside, and meet many people.

Darby was predeceased by his father, Ron Keehn, in 2008; and his uncle, Len Kerr in 2020.  He is survived by his mom, Joan Keehn; his aunt, Betty Kerr; brothers Rick Keehn, Tom Keehn, and Danny Keehn; cousins Kathy Stone and Sherry McCuaig; numerous other cousins; and several very close friends, who were like family to him as well. Darby had a special place in the hearts of many family members and friends, who felt he was more like a brother than a cousin or a friend.  He was one of a kind, and a great friend to many. He will be sorely missed.

In lieu of flowers, donations to any organization involved in providing sanctuary or rehabilitation to wild birds would be much appreciated.

If you wish to send a condolence, post photos, or share a memory, please scroll down the page to the area called “Condolences”.

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