Local veteran and wife, victims of fatal crash, remembered by Calgary legion

CALGARY -

A Calgary couple killed in a crash in the city’s southwest is being remembered for their commitment and contributions to the Royal Canadian Legion.

Edna and Keith Ashmead passed away in a collision between two SUVS near the intersection of 17th Ave. and 29th Street S.W. on the morning of Nov. 8.

The Calgary Police Service traffic unit continues to investigate the cause of the deadly crash.

According to the couple’s obituary, Keith and Edna met in Halifax where Keith served in the Royal Canadian Navy and were married in 1972.

Keith was originally from Stony Plain and Edna is described as an "independent gal from Newfoundland." The couple was posted in Germany, where they lived with Edna's two sons, but moved back to Canada in 1980 and to Calgary in 1986.

"The sadness has been echoed through people when they find out that Keith has passed, and Edna was gone (too)" said Bill Cox, a friend of the couple. "Very seldom do I hear of a husband and wife that were killed in an accident together."

Alexandrea Kovacs knew the couple well.

"When Keith left the the reserves, he became an icon within the legion," she said. She said he played a major role in getting the new legion built on Kensington Road, and was a robust supporter of veterans.

"He was anything that he could be to the community," she said. "He did the poppy fund. I saw him numerous times at veterans week, and also throughout the year."

"He did leave an impact on a lot of people's lives," she said, continuing. "Both he and Edna - Edna would have been a little more in the background. She was quiet and reserved. He was gregarious. He was a joy to see."

Memorial services are still being organized but donations can be made in Keith and Edna's names to the Veteran's Food Bank and the Calgary Humane Society.