Obituary of Keith Koke

KOKE: Keith - Keith Koke passed away peacefully to be with his Lord and Saviour on Saturday, May 23, 2020, at the age of 82 years. Keith was born in Zwolle, the Netherlands. He was the son of the late Albert and Jantje (Zonneberg) Koke. Beloved husband of the late Marty Koke for 58 years. Cherished father of Debbie Koke-Schmidt (Tony Groza), the late Cindy Koke-Haalstra (Jeff Haalstra) and Ken Koke (Marg Haalstra-Koke). Treasured grandpa of Adam Schmidt, Lydia Schmidt, Vanessa Schmidt, Laura Carmer (Nick); Rachel Haalstra-Huntington (Matt), Michelle Haalstra, Shane Haalstra; Myles Koke and Madi Koke. Brother of Jane Van'tVoort (Bas), the late Ed Koke (Cookie), and Marianne Massey (late Dennis). Brother-in-law to the late Simon Antuma (late Wilma), the late George Antuma (Jean), Peter Antuma (late Inkse), Fred Antuma (LeeAnn), Maryke James (late Francis), the late Jean Coolen (late Jeff), Driek Frak (late Louis) and Els Vanschubert (Al). He will be missed by many nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends. Keith was a business partner with his brother Ed for almost 60-years. Starting with Maple City Typewriter they grew to Maple City Office Equipment, and then MC Business Solutions/MicroAge group of companies. Keith dedicated his life to serving the community. During his entire life in Canada, Keith was an active member of the Living Hope Church. He sat on several different committees as well as serving numerous times as a Deacon. He was most willing to freely offer his help, with his business skills which he did as recently as this past winter. He was a member of Downtown Chatham Rotary for over 48 years. He served as District 6380 Governor from 2000 - 2001. He was an 8 time Paul Harris Fellow, and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award recipient (2012) for service to Rotary. Keith participated in numerous Rotary activities such as Polio Plus, Shelter Box, Youth Leadership Awards, Interact Clubs, Youth Exchange, Group Study Exchange, Peace Fellowships, Eye Glasses for Rotary, and more. Keith took the lead in establishing clubs in the District such as Livingston Sunrise, Chatham Sunrise, and Dresden. In his spare time, Keith was known as a master at BBQing with ribs being his specialty. He was also known as the local goose whisperer and nourished the development of geese on the Thames River. He was also known as the master fixer. If something was broken, he could fix it. Most importantly, Keith’s strength came from his love of his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Keith found comfort in Psalm 116:15, “ Precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of His saints”. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a private family funeral will be held on Friday, May 29, 2020 at 1:00 pm EST. The link to the recorded service can be found here: https://youtu.be/sh8z-n1lwn8 In lieu of flowers, donations to Word and Deed Ministries would be appreciated. Online condolences and donations may be left at www.mckinlayfuneralhome.com McKinlay Funeral Home, 459 St. Clair Street, Chatham, 519-351-2040