HARKER, Keith Lloyd

Age 78, of Bedford. It is with unimaginable sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather on July 22, 2021. Born on May 26, 1943, Keith was the oldest of 16 children. He was born in Halifax to the late Roy and Rosie Harker. At the young age of 20, he married the love of his life, Simone (Bastarache) on July 6, 1963. Together they raised two daughters (Darlene and Kim) and a son (Dan). Keith will be remembered by those who knew him as a man with a very funny, quick-witted, sense of humour, a kind heart and someone who was always ready for a conversation. He loved his family with all his heart and especially his wife Simone, whom he still told many, many times every single day “I love you Mrs. Harker”. During his career, Keith worked in multiple industries, including successfully starting and growing his own home construction company and years later working as supervisor for The Daily News. He was also a devoted member of the Knights of Columbus and was an altar server during church services at St. Ignatius Church in Bedford. In addition to his family, Keith absolutely loved cruising. He and Simone enjoyed many cruises to the Caribbean and also traveled to Amsterdam for a trip of a lifetime river cruise, in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary, with their very dear friends. Most recently, their daily morning walks together along Shore Drive and DeWolf Park, where they would meet and strike up conversations with countless new acquaintances was something they always looked forward to. He also enjoyed his time spent with “the boys” for their weekly evening poker games, as well as his and Simone’s frequent conversation and laughter-filled happy hour gatherings with close friends. Keith is survived by his wife of 58 years, Simone; daughter, Kim Lewis (Brian); son, Dan Harker (Diana); grandchildren, Lindsay, Ryan, Justice, Jocelyn, Brent, Jessica, Lauren; and great-grandchildren, Aiden, Finn and Liam; as well as several brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his daughter, Darlene; parents, Roy and Rosie Harker; siblings, Ivan, Carol, Weston, Myra and Chester. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Diabetes Canada. Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, a private funeral service (by invite only) will take place on Thursday, July 29th at 1 p.m. in St. Ignatius Church, Bedford. Online condolences may be expressed to the family by visiting: www.atlanticfuneralhomes.com (Sackville Chapel).