Keith Arthur Spence

Keith was born on January 11, 1921 in Georgetown to Wilfred Spence and Florence Ayling, the family at that time living at 61 John St. Keith was the youngest of five children and his older sisters liked to curl his blonde hair like a Kewpie doll, so he was called “Koop” for the rest of his life.

Wilfred worked at the paper mill, as many area men did. When Keith was 15, his dad was injured at the mill and so Keith left school at that time to go to work. Keith worked at Smith & Stone his whole life…even returning to work there after the war...his job kept for his return.

At age 19, Keith married Eleanor Hornby age 18, also from Georgetown, in July of 1940. Eleanor was pregnant when Keith enlisted and he only met his daughter Judy when he was discharged at the end of the war. They couple eventually had nine children.

Keith volunteered in 1941 with the Lorne Scots and then later in the was transferred to the South Saskatchewan Light Infantry. Keith served in Italy, France and Germany. He seldom spoke of the war, but did say that at Dieppe, he was one of only two from his unit who survived.

Upon his discharge, the family moved into the “war time” housing on Normandy…living at 45 Normandy until they moved to Hillsburgh in 1955. The house on Normandy only had two bedrooms and as they already had four children, they needed more room, hence the move.

Keith died October 7, 1994 and is buried at Huxley Cemetery in Hillsburgh.

Truly a Canadian Hero. His story lives on.

*Information submitted to Homes of Heroes Halton Hills by Jackie Turbitt