TRIBUTES have been paid to a much-loved family man who had a passion for animals and photography.
David Keightley, 67, of Chatsworth Place, Cleethorpes, will be missed for his cheeky smile, his kind personality – and his camera.
He passed away on August 5 at home with his loving wife of 27 years, Vicki, by his side, after a short illness.
Vicki said David was a "great man" who loved animals and would "drive many people to distraction with his photography".
"I met him while I was working at the Dolphin restaurant and bar," she recalled.
"He came in there while he was working as an engineer for Lindsey Oil Refinery.
"Our eyes met and he had such wonderful blue eyes and a cheeky smile.
"He asked my friend for my number but for some reason I turned him down.
"We did, however, start dating soon after; I think his cheeky smile wore me down until I gave in and gave him my number.
"It still took me another four years before I agreed to marry him though.
"He was well-liked and would make friends everywhere he would go. He was just that kind of a guy.
"He loved his camera. He would spend hours out and about taking pictures.
"It would drive me and everyone he asked to pose for his pictures to distraction. He would take so long setting up pictures that people would get stiff smiles!
"We would go out walking together and I would end up being his pack mule carrying all his photography gear while he snapped away.
"We really enjoyed gardening together. He was great at growing tomatoes, we always had so many tomatoes!
"He loved animals, he loved them so much we ended up taking in three stray cats.
"His dress sense was always unusual. He had these Rupert bear trousers that he would wear.
"I would always say 'you cannot wear them' and he would reply 'if the colours are good enough for the flowers in the garden, they are good enough for me'.
"We would donate his clothes to charity from time to time, as he always had so many.
"Then he would go out shopping in the same charity shops and buy back his clothes without realising it.
"David enjoyed his jazz music and The Kinks. He would often sing Wild Thing to me with all the actions.
"He never wanted a funeral and only asked that his friends could have a drink on him.
"I would like to say a huge thank-you to everyone involved in nursing David.
"I would especially like to thank my family. My son Rick and my daughter-in-law Sharon, I couldn't have coped without them both.
"My heartfelt thanks goes to all who have sent their love and support."
