Philip D. Keddie

KEDDIE, Philip Desmond

Phil Keddie died January 12, 2022 after a recent cancer diagnosis. Phil was born April 4, 1936 and raised in The Pas, Manitoba, spending summers with family and friends at Atikameg (Clearwater) Lake. During his high school years he assisted in his father’s general store, worked on a railway extra gang and as a labourer building a new grain-elevator at the port of Churchill.

Phil received a BA Honours, First Class, from the University of Manitoba in 1958, an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin in 1960, and his PhD from the University of Waterloo in 1976 – all in geography. After teaching at the University of Auckland, New Zealand 1961-63, and the University of Manitoba 1963-1967 he joined the Department of Geography, University of Guelph in the fall of 1967. There he spent 28 enjoyable years in a great department with wonderful colleagues.

Phil Keddie was the go-to source about Canada, its geography, its history, its rural economy and made significant contributions to our understanding of local, Ontario and Canada-wide agriculture. Phil retired in 1995 as Professor Emeritus, College of Social Sciences, University of Guelph. For the next ten years the department continued to be a place where he could hang his hat, continue with research, and keep in touch with colleagues. And for many years he enjoyed a monthly breakfast with retired colleagues.

Phil was passionate about his hometown of The Pas. In retirement he produced “A Sunset View of Our Teen Town”, a detailed memoir of his youth in The Pas. He then researched and wrote two more books on The Pas and its history: “The Early Gateway Years: The Pas and District 1904-1921”, and “Boom and Depression: The Pas and District in the Late 1920’s and the 1930’s”.

Phil was predeceased by his beloved wife Beverley (Armstrong), parents Eric and Eileen (Cole), and sister Kathleen (Phillips). He is survived by his son Eric in Calgary, daughter Susan (husband Richard Vorder Bruegge, daughters Tanya and Charlotte, all of Fredericksburg, VA), and his second wife Jackie Wolfe and her sons Stephen (wife Heather Gilmour and son Evan of Chelsea, Quebec) and Michael (wife Kate Rogers, and daughters Eliza and Iris of Fredericton, New Brunswick).

The letters and cards with reminiscences and tributes that poured in from family, friends, colleagues and former students brightened Phil’s days and will be treasured by Susan, Jackie and Phil’s grandchildren.

Phil’s family wishes to thank family physician Dr. Geurtjens, and Dr. Will Ruddock and his team. Bayshore Home Care Solutions nurses Shannon and Nadia and occupational therapist Amy made invaluable suggestions for his care. Thanks to Wall-Custance Funeral Home & Chapel for handling cremation. Philip Keddie’s name will be on the 2021-2022 memorial plaque in the University of Guelph Arboretum, where he and Jackie hiked the trails come snow, rain or shine.

Phil wished to have a last word to family, friends and colleagues wherever they may be: “If you think of me just say “Goodbye Phil”, and raise a glass of your favourite beverage. And, if you are so inclined the University of Guelph Geography Alumni 4th and 6th Semester Undergraduate Scholarships need financial support. The “Stepping Stone”, commemorating the years of dedicated work of Sister Christine who made Guelph a more caring community, is similarly worthy of your support”.

A tree will be planted in memory of Philip D. Keddie in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest.