I got the word earlier that my friend, cover artist for my first book, “Tempting Jonah,” ex-co-worker and “fake brother” passed away on Sunday.
When Keith came to work at the newspaper where I worked, I found a friend immediately. The tall, blond young man fit right in with the rest of the quirky staff. One reason was because he remembered the theme song from an old TV show called “It’s About Time,” which I also knew. He also shared the love of “Mystery Science Theater 3000” that my late husband and I did.
I later learned that he was funny and talented. I can still remember how thrilled he was when I asked him to paint the cover for my book and what a beautiful job he did. And how he came up with my nickname and screen name “NutsieNan.”
He was about to give up on ever finding the right woman when Heather came to work for the paper. They were perfect for each other. I cried at their wedding and Keith thought that was funny. I’m thinking of the stories he told about his Uncle Pratt and how he called my mom a “cute little Jewish lady.” My friend, Gretchen, remembers him as a funny guy who laughed a lot.
Keith, you will be missed. And Heather, hang onto all these memories – they’ll help you through it somewhat.