John 'Larry' Keigan
Lieu de naissance : Sudbury , Ontario, Canada
Date de naissance : 23 décembre 1970
Lieu de décès : St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Date de décès : 20 octobre 2012
With profound sadness and deepest regret, we announce the sudden passing of our cherished son, brother, and uncle, John Lawrence ‘Larry’ Keigan, fondly known by so many as Lava. Larry passed away Saturday, Oct. 20 at St. Catharines General Hospital, St. Catharines, Ont., with his adoring family by his side.
Born in Sudbury, Ont., Dec. 23, 1970, he was the only son of Colin William (Bill) and Rachael (Parks) Keigan of Sydney Mines.
Besides his parents, Larry is survived by his sisters, Anne Marie Keigan of Cole Harbour and Katherine Keigan-Labrie and brother-in-law Michael Labrie of Kitchener. He is also survived by his niece and nephew, Lillian and Ethan Adams of Cole Harbour, and nephews, Ryan, Justin, Brenden and Colin Labrie of Kitchener. He was an extremely proud uncle and loved his niece and nephews dearly.
Larry was predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Ernest and Lillian (Pearcey) Keigan and maternal grandparents, John and Bertha (Deveaux) Parks. He was also predeceased by his uncles, Dennis Keigan, Daniel Parks and Larry Middleton and aunts, Marie (Keigan) Gerrow and Dorothy (Keigan) Young.
Raised in Sydney Mines, Larry graduated from Memorial High School in 1989 and worked as an electrical apprentice shortly out of high school but quickly chose a career path as a plumber and later as a pipefitter/steamfitter. For the past many years he travelled all over the country, working primarily in the Alberta oilsands as a pipefitter/steamfitter. An extremely hard worker, he was very well liked and respected by his fellow tradesman for his work ethic and proficiency in the trade. He was a proud member of local 56 United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters in Dartmouth, NS.
An avid sports and a lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan, Larry could often be seen proudly sporting his favourite Leafs ball cap. He absolutely loved music and was an accomplished guitar player who loved getting together with family and friends, playing and singing until the sun came up; he was truly the life of the party. He enjoyed fishing and spending time and sharing laughs with his family and many friends, too many to count. His larger than life personality, keen sense of humour, infectious smile, generosity and ability to make those he held dear feel loved and special will be his legacy. He will be missed dearly by all those who loved him and will never be forgotten.
A visitation was held at the Henry Walser Funeral home in Kitchener, Ont., and cremation has taken place. A funeral service will be held Friday, Nov. 2 at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Archibald Avenue in North Sydney, to be presided by Fr. Patrick O’Neil. A reception will follow in the church. In addition, a celebration of Larry’s life, in true Cape Breton-fashion, as he would have wanted it, will take place at the Florence Fire hall on the same day from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Burial will take place at a later date at Holy Cross Cemetery, North Sydney.
We would like to sincerely thank the medical staff of the intensive care unit of St. Catharines General Hospital for the exceptional care provided to Larry and for the support extended to our family. We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. David Ayers and the staff of the Henry Walser Funeral Home in Kitchener for their compassion and outstanding professionalism.
Online condolences may be made at www.henrywalser.com and memorial donations may be made in Larry’s name to a charity of one’s choosing.
