Dr. Keith Dewar

Born April 19, 1947, in Peterborough, Ontario, Keith passed away peacefully on July 19th at the Saint John Regional Hospital, New Brunswick.  He was 78 years old.

Education & Career

R. Keith Dewar, B.E.S. (Waterloo), B.Ed. (Lakehead), M.A. (Carleton), Ont.Dip.Hort (Guelph), PhD (Waterloo).

Keith began his teaching career in 1989.  He taught at several universities including the University of Waterloo, Massey University, New Zealand, Sun Yat-sen University, China and University of New Brunswick, Saint John, Canada.  Before being an academic scholar, he worked for Parks Canada from 1972-1989 where he worked at various parks including Point Pelee, Jasper, Rideau Canal and the St. Lawrence Islands.

Keith had a long and illustrious career as a Hospitality & Tourism professor at universities here in Canada and New Zealand.  He retired from UNB Saint John in 2020 after a career that saw him win several teaching awards along the way, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2018 International Conference on Tourism.

Keith was invited to be on the Destination Canada Board and served on the Research Advisory Committee from 2018 to 2020.He was also a member of the International Graphical Union and the Crane Mountain Enhancement Inc. Board in the mid 2000s.

Keith touched many lives throughout his time here.  His intellect, enthusiasm, kindness, and most of all, his incredible sense of humour made him a very popular professor, colleague and friend.  He had many interests including geology, geography, photography, wildlife, public broadcasting, birds and of course, travel.  Keith could recognize 50-80 species of birds by their song alone.  He made friends with every four-legged creature he came across and could charm squirrels to run up his arm to take food.

Keith and Wemnei spent their lives together travelling the world.  They had travelled to over 100 countries, and they loved to go on a cruise.  They rarely stayed put for very long before they were off on another adventure.

Survived by his loving wife Wenmei Li, daughter Tania Marie Ann Crook (Arthur), son Sean (Lisa Lin) and grandchildren Tobermory, Rosetta, and Stella.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Fundy Funeral Home, 230 Westmorland Road, Saint John, NB E2J 2G3; (506) 646-2424. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2025, in the Fundy Funeral Home Chapel beginning at 3:00 PM.  A time of fellowship will follow the service in the Fundy Funeral Home Reception Room. Donations in Keith’s memory can be made to the Diabetes Association, Canadian Cancer Society, or the Saint John SPCA . To leave online condolences please visit https://www.fundyfuneralhome.com/