Keith Kilburn sadly passed away on the 23rd of February 2023.
Keith Douglas Kilburn was born in Islington London on the 16th June 1931, only son of Jessie and Walter Kilburn. Highly inquisitive from an early age, he enjoyed learning how things were made and experimented in the home making explosions and messes. At the age of eleven he won a scholarship to Trinity College of Music to study piano and in the same year was invited
to join Chapel Royal as a chorister in the King's private choir. His love of music and piano continued throughout his life, a passion that he shared with his children.
He studied at Northern Polytechnic, London, graduating with a PhD in Chemistry.
He opted to work for the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell in Berkshire
as an alternative to military service and he worked there for three years. He then joined
British-American Tobacco Research and Development Laboratories in Southampton as an analytical Chemist where he worked until his retirement.
Whilst at Harwell, Keith met Janet Tinney at a Young Farmers event and they were married
on 9th July 1960
Keith took up sailing in the mid 1960s with a dinghy at Hamble sailing club and, when he retired,
he realised a dream of combining sailing and his interest in ancient trading routes by sailing around the Mediterranean for several months a year joined by many family members and friends. This adventure lasted for a decade and included sharing his experiences and observations with the Cruising Association. He was a keen member of the Southampton Magna Rotary Club where he and Janet made many friends both in Southampton and around the world through the many international events and trips that were organised. He was awarded “Honorary Lifetime Membership” of the Rotary club last year.
He was profoundly religious and enjoyed theological discussions. Throughout his life he was actively involved in the church, often in leadership positions such as leading bible study groups, running youth groups and church governance. His Christian beliefs gave him much comfort in his later years.
Keith was very well read and was knowledgeable on many subjects. He always had something useful to say on anything and everything. His solutions to problems were invariably creative! Infinitely curious, he loved travelling, and regularly visited France camping with his family in earlier life and then later, travelling around the world often to visit family. He loved seeing his family and grandchildren and there was always room to stay! Amazingly supportive to friends and family, he had a great sense of humour and was always very generous and available.
He was widowed in May 2012. He leaves behind 4 children and 9 grandchildren,
all of whom will miss him greatly.
The Funeral Service will be held on Monday 3rd April 2023
at Avenue St Andrews United Reformed Church at 2.00 pm
and will be followed by Committal at Southampton Crematorium
East Chapel.
Donations in memory of Keith to The RYA Foundation
can be made via: https://keithkilburn.muchloved.com
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