Keith Abraham Steingard

Keith Abraham Steingard, aged 80 years, of Brandon, Manitoba, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Thursday, March 6th, 2025, just prior to having lunch at the Assiniboine Centre, where he was recuperating from hip surgery. He had slipped on the ice on February 14th just moments after picking up a heart-shaped pizza to take home. Passersby helped him into his van and then he drove home, where he was helped into bed. The next morning it was apparent that something was very wrong, and so he was transported to Brandon General Hospital, where he had surgery that same day. He was moved to the Assiniboine Center two weeks later to continue his recovery.

The morning of his passing, he ate breakfast and enjoyed a visit with his sweetheart, Judy. He was happy and talkative, even joking with his roommates. He told her he was feeling tired and so she left for home. Before she had exited the building, however, a Code Blue with his room number was called, and she rushed back. Despite valiant efforts by staff to resuscitate him, he had already passed on to his eternal rest. Dad always seemed to be one for sudden goodbyes, so even in death he stayed true to form.

Keith is survived by his sweetheart of 21 years Judy Richardson of Brandon;

daughter Natalie Dueck (Jason) of New Bothwell; son Troy Steingard of Winnipeg; daughter- in-law Andrea of Winnipeg; grandchildren and their families: Dara (Emanuel) Toews children Arielle, Kahlyn, Asher) of Niverville; Dayvia (Armando) Toews (children Kayne, Aurora, Jericho) of New Bothwell; Kai Dueck (Michelle) of Steinbach; Zephan (Gracelynne) Dueck (children Andy and Spencer) of St. Pierre; Ransom, Ezri, Paxton and Ronan Dueck of New Bothwell; Austin and Annika Steingard of Winnipeg.

Keith was predeceased by father Abraham (1965), mother Lea (2015), twin brother Kenneth (1984), and great-grandson Gabriel Toews (2024). We hope he will be holding little

Gabriel on his lap in heaven, giving him lots of cuddles, and playing shake-a-paw.

Dad and his fraternal twin brother Kenneth, born on July 28, 1944, were the only children born to Abe and Lea Steingard of Brandon, and were the first full term twins born at Brandon General Hospital, weighing in at over seven pounds each. Dad was the oldest by seven minutes. When he and Ken were still infants, their parents built Steingard Nursing Home at 1615 Tenth Street. Dad spent his growing up years in a small apartment attached to the nursing home. He and his brother rode their bicycles inside the nursing home on occasion and were also known to cause mysterious disappearances of baking there.

One of dad’s favourite stories was how he got in trouble at school for only sharing treats with a few friends. His teacher admonished him that if he was going to continue handing out candy in school, that he’d have to bring enough to share with the whole class. Hearing this, Dad gleefully went to the store and bought six packages of Chiclet’s, went home, opened the Chiclet’s, and traded the contents with the Ex-lax intended for the nursing home patients. The next day, everyone in the class – including the teacher – unwittingly partook of Dad’s generosity. The next day, Dad recalls that half the class was missing, and that his parents were wondering why all the patients were so backed up! People that knew Dad and his brother still recount their many mischievous escapades!

He was no stranger to hard work - it was at Steingard Nursing Home that he helped with laundry and other chores from an early age and visited with the patients. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why he found it so easy to talk to practically anyone! Interestingly, his future mother-in-law, Olga Actemichuk was employed as a nurse’s aide at the home, which later led to his meeting of Shirley.

As a young man Keith played the French horn in the legion band. His dad was commodore of the Brandon Boat Club and drove the boat for the Brandon Water Ski Club. Dad was an avid water-skier who often was part of the elaborate formations that his dad pulled behind the boat. Dad and Ken went to DeVry Institute of Technology in Toronto, but returned home within a few months, as it wasn’t for them. His family attended Brandon Bethel Temple, where he was baptized as a teenager. He was very devoted to his mother, and close with his brother.

Dad met Shirley Actemichuk in 1964. As the story goes, on the night he successfully proposed to her, they got his vehicle stuck in the mud, causing him to get home just after midnight. This tardiness resulted in his father cutting his car keys. Keith and Shirley were married at the end of January 1965.

Just three months after their marriage, in May 1965, Dad lost his father in a tragic boating accident. A few years later, dad’s brother made some poor life decisions, which was hard on Dad. Tragedy struck again in 1984 when his brother died under horrific circumstances. Although dad never wanted to talk about it, the circumstances surrounding the deaths of his father and brother had a profound impact on him. He bottled a lot of his feelings up and they would often spill out in unexpected ways.

Keith and Shirley had daughter Natalie, and 10 years later, son Troy. Keith worked a few different jobs before embarking on a painting career, first as an employee, and shortly thereafter self-employed. Dad was an artist, and said, “If it'll stand still, I'll paint it.” He painted everything from church Christmas props to water towers, barns, houses, buildings, vans, buses, cars - even himself on several occasions. His mural can still be seen on the back of the Brandon Superstore.

Dad’s divorce from Shirley in 1990 was followed by three other short-term relationships, before he settled down with Judy Richardson around 2004. Judy remained his sweetheart until his passing. He and Judy lived in Brandon and created many enjoyable camping memories together in Minnedosa and Wawanesa.

Memories of Dad:

• Although friendly, he wasn't one for sticking around at family gatherings - he'd often arrive late and duck out early.
• Dad was an interesting character and lived life on his own terms. He wasn’t afraid to be different and liked the attention.
• Dad loved being outdoors in the sunshine - and created his own special suntan concoction.
• He loved dancing and I remember many times swinging around with him during a polka. He also loved honky tonk music. Jimmy Swaggart was a favourite, and he often played “Looking for a City” and “Royal Telephone.”
• He liked to dress nice and flashy when he could. One outfit I particularly remember was his yellow suit. He made sure that Mom, Grandma, and I had yellow dresses to match.
• He would tell me to clean up when we finished a painting job so that the next contractors wouldn’t be slowed down.
• He bounced me on his knee playing horsey.
• He didn’t give gifts often, but they were impressive when he did. One Christmas dad gave me a $1000 bill in a candy washing machine, and my brother a state-of-the-art home computer. He bought me an expensive Raleigh record ten speed which I have to this day.
• Dad always liked to have fun. Had lots of innovative ideas and was willing to take risks. He joked around lots and was always smiling and making us laugh. He was punny whenever possible.
• Was really strong, even in his later years, maybe from all the years of using the resistance grips and spray painting.
• Was often very emotional during our visits in later years and often had to cut the visits short.
• Dad was constantly telling of God's goodness to him. His Bible was well loved and full of notes. He always told us that Jesus loves us and that he loves us. He was open about his faith. He experienced a supernatural healing in his back in 1977 which brought him back to having a relationship with Jesus.
• Dad loved his steak and would often barbecue on the front porch - we would get sample bits if we were lucky enough to wake up at the right time!
• Building an ice fort from snow that we cut out at Rideau Park across the street and bringing the blocks home on a toboggan. One year he made a huge tunnel system in the backyard snow, cautioning us to never go in alone in case it would collapse.
• Dad and I would spend weeknights at the Canada Games Sportsplex on the waterslide and diving boards.
• Liked to always have the latest new motorized vehicles in Brandon - jet ski, panel vans, monster trucks, quads, motorcycle, trike, truck with a snow blade. He loved the attention his vehicles would draw. He also was fantastic at riding backwards on the handlebars of bikes! He was known to bury the needle of many cars. In the mid-80’s he bought an army flat deck truck and put a water tank on the back so that he could do pressure washing. In the first half of his life, he had owned over sixty different vehicles- this number eventually grew to a hundred or more - cars, vans, trucks, school buses. Wore out many sets of (mom’s) tires while part of a slalom racing club in the mall parking lot in his late twenties. He also did winter slalom racing for a time, capturing the attention of the Brandon Sun. He enjoyed four-wheel driving in the winter on the north hill and doing donuts at the most unexpected times.
• When Natalie was in her third year of Bible College in Saskatoon Dad felt a sudden prompting to drive there and see her. This likely saved her life, as she was living off campus. He drove her to the hospital in the middle of the night. Due to complications, she was there for 20 days.
• Went along on Natalie and Jason’s first coffee date, showing off his truck with chains painted on the side.
• Dad could talk to anyone and was well known in the Brandon coffeeshops. A favourite trick of his was to hold his coffee cup up while asking the server if there were free refills. When she said yes, he'd quickly grab his plate and ask for a free refill!
• Dad liked to travel and lived for short periods of time in Saskatoon, Calgary, and Washington, and even traveled with his pressure washing truck to Alberta and Saskatchewan.
• He lived in his camper for a time and was happy to live with little.
• Free spirit who often pretended that things were okay when they really were not.
• He liked to volunteer at the soup kitchen and at the annual Christmas dinner at the Keystone Centre.

Dad’s Favourite Sayings and Instructions:

• If someone said “Excuse me” while walking past him, he would often exclaim, “Squeeze you? I hardly know you!”
• If he did something nice for you and you’d say thanks: “I’ll send you a bill at the end of the month.”
• “Y’ know”
• “Think, don't check.” “Check, don't think.” I never understood until I was an adult how these actually made sense!
• “Clean up after yourself.”
• “Use please and thank you.” Say “Excuse me.”
• If dropping off my friends after a youth event, he told me to always wait until I could see them go inside.
• When he would call us: “Hi, is this the number I'm calling?”
• “Shake a paw.” (when shaking his grandkids’ hands)
• “I love you this muck.” (With arms outstretched)
• “Tigger” was his nickname for Natalie “Sparky” was his nickname for Troy.
• He’d have his hands behind his back and asked his kids to pick one. It would be filled with coins for them.

Cremation has taken place, and a private Celebration of Life will be held later in the spring in Brandon. Please contact Natalie or Troy if you are interested in attending.