Peter was very gentle and thoughtful person.

A good husband and father. If more of us were like him the world would be happier better place.

I only have found memories of him.

Craig White

Peter, there is an emptiness in our lives because we have lost your physical presence with us after over 45 years of true friendship. How many memories we have of you over the many years gone by - the happy times we have all shared as families. How grateful we are to have been able to visit you in hospital during that last week and to share a last holiday with you. To have you visit us at home one last time for morning tea, four days before you left us – your last outing. How privileged to glimpse that tender loving gaze you gave Thelma over the coffee cups, as you acknowledge how well she was caring for you. It is forever burnt into my memory. Over the many years of your ill health you have been an inspiration to us, you have battled so bravely without complaint, beyond the endurance of most. Not only that, your inner goodness shone through, and we treasure who you are and continue to be. Although you didn’t seem a religious man these words from scripture sum you up so well and I personalise them: Your love was patient, gentle and kind, without envy. It was not boastful or arrogant. It was not ill mannered, nor did it seek its own interest. Your love was not provoked to anger, kept no score of offences, it did not take delight in wrong but rejoiced in the truth. Your love excused all things, believed all things, hoped all things and endured all things – and most of all YOUR love never ends for the bond of love can never be broken.

Barry and Kathy White.

8/6/2014

Thank you Bob, Cath and Dennis for making Peter`s final goodbye such a memorable occasion.

He was a very much loved husband, dad and Poppy. His legacy will live on in our lovely children.

May he finally rest in eternal peace.

Thelma

9/6/2014

Remembering my quiet gentle brother.

So sorry I wasn’t here for the family last Friday but so pleased I saw him before I went away.

A man of few words but I am sure he knew how much he was loved and will be sadly missed by all his family.

So proud to have you as my brother.

Rest in peace Peter.

Love always Carol

Uncle Peter,

Hoping you are at peace now after such a long battle with your health.

I will remember you as the friendliest man I knew.

Greeting me with a smile, nod and a "how are you going mate".

You always made me feel special and welcome. As a little boy you always took an interest in me and that gentle thoughtful nature always made me feel like important part of joint family friendship group.

I am lucky to have such impressive Godparents and I love you and Thelma so much.

Andrew White

My memories of Pete will be of a patient, kind and caring family man who never had a bad word for anyone.

Despite his on-going medical hurdles, he lived life to the fullest and never complained. His answer to "How are you today?`` was always short and positive, accompanied with a friendly smile......(.in recent times a gappy one! ) This response almost certainly masked a lot of pain, and I am sure much anxiety about his dear family.

A man of few words, I will miss his quiet demeanor and the funny remarks he would often make about Thelma, whom he obviously loved dearly. A true gentle man.

Helen Allan

Peter James Keogh was one of life`s true gentlemen. He was an honest, hard-working family man, who enjoyed life and the company of friends. He was a good man, always ready to help out and do someone a good turn. He was loved dearly by his wife, Thelma, and adored by his children, Tony and Linda, and his little granddaughter, Amalie, and in return he had much admiration and love for them. He was a quiet man, but always friendly and cheerful, and a welcoming host. He was also one of the bravest men I have known, as although he endured much pain and ill health throughout his lifetime, he never complained once about it, and always soldiered on valiantly to surmount all the hurdles life sent his way. He was a fighter, and he would always bounce back triumphantly from all the life-threatening health problems he had, and when asked, afterwards, how he was feeling, he`d always say he was `good`, with no hint of a negative inflection in his voice.

To see such an amazing crowd of people paying their final respects to Peter, was truly a wonderful tribute to him as a man, and his life well-lived. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends, but although we are very sad to lose him at such an early age, we must console ourselves with the thought that he is finally at peace and no longer in pain.

He will never be forgotten by those privileged enough to have known him, and to have been able to call him a friend. RIP Pete.

Robyn Jones.

25th June 2014

Although my contact with Peter could be described as periodic I remember him as a kind, thoughtful and generous person. In all the time I have known him, some forty odd years, I never heard him utter a single adverse comment to or about anyone. Apart from heartfelt memories I have for him he taught me how to play but not how to win Keno.

Rest in peace Peter now that the pain has gone.

Steve and Annette Jewkes.

20/7/2014

Where does one begin. I first met Peter nearly 47 years ago.

Peter being one of Garry’s best mates for at least 55 yrs. I lived down in Gosford thus Garry would come down quite often and his good friend Peter would come to keep him company. Well I said to Garry we cannot have him being all alone so introduced him to my girlfriend Pam making us foursome. However their relationship dwindle over time, then Peter introduced us to his new lady Thelma and we connect with her immediately.

We spent many a summers day at the beach or up at Fingal bay at Thelma`s parents holiday cottage for the weekend.

There would often be a group of us and we had such fun doing the simplest things like playing cards etc. and sleeping wherever there was space to sometimes pitching a tent outside.

Garry and I got married in 1967 – Garry asked Peter to be his best man being the perfect pick of his friends.

Then Peter and Thelma married and so our family`s expanded with children 2 a pieces for each of us. There were many a time that Peter and Thelma looked after our children as we looked after there`s with them living at Jesmond and us at Lambton.

Time passed by and the children grew up with weddings in which we were so blessed to witness the next generation moving along with there lives.

In all this time we would have Peter and Thelma over for dinner and visa versa. This occurred maybe 4 times a year sometimes more in which Peter never said no to a glass of red wine to drink with his mate even when Thelma would give him THE look, knowing his health issues, this also included any major celebration like milestone birthdays etc..

Peter never said much about his health issues rather he would be asking about what we were up too, followed by having a full report of our grown children. These are our wonderful friends Peter & Thelma.

I felt we were so blessed to see Peter in hospital the night before he passed. We held his big hands, matter of fact we couldn’t stop touching him which was felt so strongly by us both yet not fully understanding why. Not for one minute thinking we wouldn’t see him again thus when the news reached us we were like everyone devastated – shock beyond belief. However I remembered a conversation Peter and I had a couple of weeks prior when we discovered we were both in ward F3 with heart issues. I was scheduled for major heart surgery and so we talked about the feeling of no vitality no energy. I realized then Peter had been living with this for a long time, but did he complain never he just enjoyed all that he could with trips to Bali and staying connected with his family and friends.

While having this chat about our heart issues we made plans to have breakfast together which would be made once Thelma came back from Dubai.

This never came about on one level but it did on another. A few weeks after Peter’s passing we did go out for that Breakfast with Thelma to Poppies. There was 5 of us and I knew we’d get a table for 6. The seat opposite Thelma was empty but really it was taken with Peter joining us from Spirit.

We feel so blessed to have bare witness to a truly humble soul that has done a magnificent journey leaving his family with wonderful memories of truth integrity and love.

Many blessings to this family. May Peters strength lead you all through the grief and loss that takes it time to settle in your hearts.

In loving memory ...

Garry & Cheryl Cooper

20/7/2014

Peter was a true and loyal friend who showed great courage and strength during his time here on Earth, especially during the latter years. His journey was not always easy but he never said "why me?". He just got on with his life and made the most of his lot. His quiet, non judgmental and strong personality shone through. His loss has left a great hole in my life and I will always remember him with great affection. My late husband, Vince, would have concurred wholeheartedly with my sentiments. I have special thoughts of Pete today on what would have been his 68th birthday.

RIP Pete

Carole Hooper

20 - 7 - 2014

Hello my dear friend, happy birthday I hope they turned on a good show for you I`m sure they did.

Your life, legacy and memory are inspirational.

Your old mate Bob Dailey

20/7/2014

The Peter we knew was kind, unassuming and quiet.He never spoke I`ll of anyone and no matter what health problems he had he always had a positive outlook and simply got on with living. The large gathering of people to bid him farewell is testament to how highly regarded he was.We will always remember him fondly.

Robert and Pam Cairns

21/7/2014

I have great memories of wonderful times with Aunty Thel, Uncle Pete, Tony and Linda. Our families had many special times together through the decades.

Uncle Pete was such a funny, kind and considerate person and I miss him dearly.

Lots of love

Yvonne Hooper

30/7/2014

Hi my lovely father in law and the best friend ever ...... really I know I did not know you as long as your other friends who wrote a lot about you above me ..but really .. I felt how lovely person and how close to my heart you will be from day one ....I loved the time we use to spend just me and you at home when the girls use to go out together .... we just do our own sandwiches ... set on our seats watch tv and talking about what the girls will be doing and make fun of them lol .. or when we use to go fishing .... really never liked fishing before till i start going with you .. we use to have real fun .... i will never forget you my dad .... really i will never forget you ever ..... I`m not very good in writing .. Specially when I want to write about my feelings ..... So I`m sorry for being late May god bless your soul ..... you will always be in our hearts and minds ....

Ra`ed Mifrej

2/8/2014

The distinct love and respect for Peter evidenced at his final farewell reflected a shared sentiment that the world would be a better place if there were more people like him. Peter was a kind, unassuming and easy-going man (although Thelma would tell you that he had a stubborn streak at times). His family was the most important thing in his life (with the Jets coming in as a close second). Despite his on-going health issues Peter never complained and was always more concerned about others.

On a personal level, Peter, who I met through Thelma, was a caring and supportive friend to me over many decades. In the early days we attended each other’s weddings and then along the way we celebrated many respective family milestones, most importantly the joy at the birth of our children and grandchildren but in addition, the sadness of family deaths. Some of my fondest memories are of the happy times we all spent together camping at Little Beach and Forster.

Peter had a wonderful ability to make people feel special. After his death Adam told me that he remembered Uncle Peter teaching him to fish, and Mark remembered with pride his first fishing rod – a gift from Uncle Peter. Both of these things I had forgotten but they obviously meant a great deal to my sons. Kishani was blessed to have Peter as her Godfather and she was very touched during the last few years when he regularly made a point of calling in to say hello to her at work after he had been to the doctor’s nearby.

You were a true gentleman Peter and you will never be forgotten by those who were lucky enough to have known and loved you.

Lorraine Knight

4/8/2014

Missing you at Christmas and every other day Peter, your mates often talk about the good times we shared playing bowls and at the many social events. We know you will be with us in the club 4`s again this year.

Dennis

2014

A year gone by and I miss you more than ever.

For nearly 50 years we shared our thoughts and ideas.

I am grateful for our lovely kids but life is not the same.

I don,t like making decisions alone....We always respected each other`s opinion. I feel I have lost my enthusiasm for life without you.

They say time helps....we will see.

I hope you are enjoying life on the " other side" and watching over us all.

Love and miss you so much

Thelma

1/6/2015

Hello my friend,

Currently sitting in Heathrow Airport thinking of you, Thelma and family miss u and will catch up one day I`m sure hope the bowls are good up there.

Your Friend Bob

Missing you so much.

"Till we meet again"

X X

9/5/2016