My Cousin Keith
My family suffered a tragic loss this week when my cousin, Keith, passed away. Born February 5, 1975, Keith was the second of my maternal grandparents’ eight grandkids. The eight of us were together often when we were younger; in particular, Keith, my sister, Cheryl, and me. Life can fade away, but memories endure. I’ll always remember playing ‘Joust’ on Atari with Keith and Cheryl – or rather, watching Keith and Cheryl play. In my naïve youth I’d watch as they would play against each other, thinking that I was next to take on the winner of their game. Little did I know. What they referred to only as “the thing,” they’d tell me every 15 minutes or so that they got “the thing” – a purported phenomenon that somehow extended their game beyond the usual limits. I never got “the thing,” of course, in the few instances that they let me play, and only found out years later that “the thing” was really their ability to quickly reset their game to the beginning in the split second that it ended to deceive my naïve eyes. The truth of the matter, however, is that I was really just happy to be there, hanging out with my cool, older cousin, Keith, and big sister, Cheryl. They could have “the thing.” I just didn’t want to hang out upstairs with some of my scarier relatives, and I couldn’t fit under the bed where my little sisters and other cousins hid.
Survived by his parents, Mary and Louis, older sister, Chas, younger sister and brother, Lindsay and Danny, and many aunts, uncles and cousins, Keith was the grandson of the late Ralph and Felicia – who for the first time ever, I am happy are not around so that they don’t have to grapple to make sense of this tragedy.
Keith David Arigoni will be laid to rest tomorrow in a private burial in Waterbury, CT, departed at the age of 35. His family has requested that in lieu of flowers donations be made in his name to the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke – a touching gesture that can hopefully rescue a tiny bit of good from an otherwise terrible tragedy.
Let’s all treasure today, because tomorrow is always an unknown.
Rest in peace, Cuz. May you always have “the thing.”
It is truly the memories that allow us to live on when what is happening around us makes no sense. It sounds cliche’ but I have to believe that in Keith’s death, there is some good that will come to be; even if we don’t know what that is right now. Everyone has to deal with a loss such as this in their own way and there is no wrong or right way. In light of what we all are feeling, remember to take advantage of every opportunity to share times with family and friends; they are the reasons why we have the memories that keep us going at a time like this. Robin
Brian — I’m sorry that you and your family are going thru the loss of your cousin, Keith. The fact that he was only 35 stings.
I understand your pain — I had a cousin, Doug, who was a few years older than me, and I thought he was the best! Doug went to Vietnam for a year, made it thru that damn war, came home at last and within one week he was killed in a car crash. He was only 20. Why? Only God knows.
My thoughts and prayers will be with your family tomorrow.
My deepest sympathy to you and your family on this terrible loss. God’s strength has gotten you through so much…and will get you through this too.
I am so saddened. I heard through a friend that Keith had passed and I just could not believe until I did some research myself. Unfortunately, my search has brought me here. Keith was not your typical roommate but wow, what a friend! I have thought of him often and just simply he was awesome! If you do not mind sharing how he passed, I would appreciate the information as closing. There were so many rumors. I will miss the casual game of pool where he would let me win…he was always the winner! Although I know he could’t possibly win every time…right?
I’m sorry for your loss, so trajic and unforseen. God be with you, Beth in North Carolina.