He was a man that was not only held in the highest esteem by Airdronians, but much loved; so when Keith Wilkinson, a pillar of the community passed away in early January of this year, it was a numbing shock. 

Out of the shock and anguish also came the flood of residents' stories of the one they came to know as Mr. Airdrie. The countless stories about Keith are not only a testament to his legacy, but as his wife, Sandra Wilkinson recently found out, they are proof that Keith's memory is alive in the hearts of many in the city.

On Sunday, March 26, Wilkinson, alongside Dave Maffitt, Chair of the Volunteer Airdrie Society, was presented with Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal on behalf of her late husband. Wilkinson said it was a bitter-sweet moment. 

"I know that Keith would have been very honoured as well. I'd like for him to be there too to accept the award and to get the accolades for it," she said. "But, it was a very proud moment for me."

Wilkinson wore almost every and any hat within the volunteer community in the city. His tireless work included the Airdrie Lions Club as Vice President and then as President, as well as being the Director of Friends of the Games for the Airdrie 2014 Alberta Summer Games, and Director and second Vice President for the Airdrie Chamber of Commerce to name a few. Of course, his legacy with the 100 Airdrie Men Who Give A Damn was also tantamount to who he was.

"Being married to him was very inspiring. I think he just liked helping; he's always wanted to help. He was a very charismatic and outgoing person," Sandra said. "I think that being able to have that connection with people fed his drive and helped motivate him. He loved that social aspect of it and to genuinely see the community do better and provide for less fortunate people." 

After her husband's sudden passing, she was inundated with stories, some from strangers how her husband touched their life. While grieving the loss of her spouse, she said it was overwhelming, but overwhelming in a positive way. 

"It makes me even more proud about the impact he's had on the community; some things I didn't even know about."

But what of Keith Wilkinson the husband? Perhaps, unsurprisingly, the man that Airdrie knew as a selfless helper, was also a dutiful and doting husband.

"[If] I would ask him to d something, whether it was helping to put furniture together or rearrange something in the house, he was always willing to help. It was his smile, his dimples and his laugh. I think not only myself, but anybody that knew him will miss that the most."

When the news of Keith's passing was circulated, there was a lament that a person of his calibre would leave a very deep and lasting hole in the fabric of the community. But since then, there have been numerous occasions that have shown that that void that he left is being filled with his legacy - a legacy that is being built by not only those who knew him but those who emulated him.

In late January, the 100 Airdrie Men Who Give A Damn announced that they had their $250,000 benchmark of funds going back into the community.

Though there are still difficult moments for Sandra, she is also hopeful for the future as the community continues to use her husband's determined volunteerism as a model of what it means to truly be engaged in the community. Like the thousands of Airdronians who shared their fondest memories of her husband, Sandra too has one of her own, even though there are so many to choose from considering she and Keith were together for nearly seven years, while married for two-and-a-half. But there is one particular memory that she harkens back to. 

"Him being Santa Claus, was probably the thing that hit closest to home. He would meet with a lot of the families in Airdrie and play Santa Claus for their kids, or do the turkey drive; it just lit up his face. I think he got so much joy out of keeping that spirit alive for children."

Her most ardent hope is that her husband's name, memory, and living legacy continue to drive Airdronians to be helpful, and kind so that Mr. Airdrie's work will spur the city forward. 

Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@discoverairdrie.com

Related Stories