Live to the Max — Max Keeping

Max Keeping and my family — 2014

The first time I met Max Keeping was when I owned my store Flash Cadilac while doing the wardrobe for the CJOH TV show You Can’t Do that on Television. As I walked by his office one day he told me to come in and sample the biggest sundae you ever saw. Apparently the station had been on a group diet and it was over, so they were celebrating with a sundae the size of a small country. Max was always professional, savvy, charming and eloquent when we crossed paths many times throughout the years. Full of warmth and compassion he often came into my store to buy jeans for the kids he took under his wing. Max was always everywhere with his heart and soul, but I never knew how he was eventually going to touch my family.

It was a cold and snowy evening in January of 2014 when Max came knocking at our door in Carleton Place. Angelo had been dealing with a cancer that was aggressive. He was seriously considering some sort of alternative medicine, and I was unhappy with his choices. Around 7 pm that winter night Ilon from the Bourbon Room in Ottawa drove Max to come and visit Angelo, and I will never forget what a change he made in him for the next few days. Max was inspiring to us all, no matter what he himself what was going through. When he left that night Angelo was full of hope.

Sadly, a month later he passed away and Max wrote:

“Cancer is such a vulgar bully. Angelo confronted it with gallantry. It was a honour and privilege to meet him. The family will ensure his legacy by celebrating the values on which he based his life. He will be missed by many. Max

And so now I write in remembrance of Max. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy life to come and do what you did for Angelo. Every single person needs to be heard, and he listened to each one of us that night. He truly lived the motto: “It’s not about me-it’s about all of us.” That night Max told me he still got up every morning and danced. I know in my heart Max is still dancing with his feet–but he is also still dancing with that big heart that he had for everyone and everything. That’s only just one of the things I will remember Max Keeping for.

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