Obituary of Benjamin "Keith" Villnave

Benjamin “Keith” Villnave, 92, formerly of 37 Riverside Drive, Canton, died Tuesday, October 11, 2016, in Portland, Oregon. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on October 18 at 10:00 AM at St. Mary’s Church, Canton with Rev. Douglas J. Lucia as celebrant. The family will receive friends on October 17 from 2 to 4 and from 6 to 8 at Lawrence Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 21 Park Street, Canton. Burial will be held in St. Patrick Cemetery, Colton. Keith was born October 17, 1923, in Malone, New York, he was a son of the late, Benjamin A. & Florence A. (Gonyea) Villnave. He was a 1941 graduate of Brushton High School. In 1942 he graduated from Central City Business Institute. On October 5, 1946 he married Mary Domingos at Sacred Heart Church in Massena, NY. They celebrated their 70th anniversary earlier this month. Family came first for Keith. He made sure that there was always a helping hand when it was needed. He was proud of his children and grandchildren and always took an interest in their accomplishments and pursuits. During Keith’s career he worked as a construction supervisor and construction accountant for a number of companies including, State University Construction Fund, Albany, NY; General Steel Fabricators, Colonie, NY; Sharp Rigging and Welding, Mechanicsville, NY; Chisholm Contracting Co., Round Lake, NY; Ardini and Pfau, Inc., Syracuse, NY. He was also involved in bridge construction in Pennsylvania and Connecticut. He was a member of the Grange where he served as Master of Degree. In addition, Keith was a Cub Master for the Boy Scouts, and a Neighborhood Commissioner. He was also a member of the Retired Public Employees Assoc. He is survived by his wife, Mary, of Portland, Oregon; three sons and two daughters, Tom and his wife Tina Villnave of Danville, NH; Tim and his wife Karen of Salt Lake City, UT, John Villnave of Fairport, NY; Jacqueline and her husband Galen of Portland, OR and Joanne Gillock of Houston, TX; seven grandchildren, Melissa & Catherine Villnave, Benjamin & Cameron Villnave and James, Mary & Rachel Gillock, as well as several nieces and nephews. Keith loved playing piano. He generally accompanied himself and encouraged others to sing along with him. Keith was an avid card player for most of his life. He could be found keeping track of the stock market performance on a daily basis. He and Mary enjoyed traveling and had visited 46 of the lower 48 states. The couple lived in Florida for 14 years before returning to the North Country in December of 2003. They moved to Portland Oregon in 2012 to be near their daughter and advocate, Jacqueline. In keeping with Keith’s love of music, memorial contributions may be made to support the music and entertainment programs at Hawthorne Gardens Assisted Living, 2828 SE Taylor St, Portland, OR 97214. Condolences may be shared with the family by visiting www.lawrencefuneralhome.org