You should help those who need help, give a voice to those who don’t have one and fight for those who aren’t strong enough to fight for themselves.
- Brian Keegan
In the early hours of Friday, March 18, well known Hawkesbury identity Brian Keegan lost his battle with cancer at age 87.
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Mr Keegan will be remembered by many, for many different reasons.
For some, it will be as the man at the head of a family-run store which serviced the area, while for others it will be for the sponsorship he offered to start up a local club or the support he offered junior sports teams.
There was also the charity work he did, donating prizes and his own time to help raise funds for many a good cause.
In the late 1960s the local boat racing community from the Upper Hawkesbury Power Boating Club felt the spray of Brian Keegan, a determined competitor from country town Mudgee, where he and his wife Barbara ran an electrical business, clothing store and he served as a mariner.
Nicknamed, Spike, he would go on to win many local and national races. He was always happy to share a joke with the other drivers after the racing was done.
It was his love of the Hawkesbury River that would change his life forever.
In the early 70s, Brian moved his entire family and his businesses to Windsor, where it didn’t take him long to earn the reputation as a trustworthy bloke and a bit of a larrikin.
He got involved with the Hawkesbury District Concert Band, where his passion for music saw him dedicate his time to grow the band and form life long friendships.
Brian also started his own jazz band, playing at many iconic venues around Sydney. It gave him the chance toi use his voice to sing as well as tell a few jokes.
In 1988 he got the chance to be in a TV mini-series, Dirt Water Dynasty, playing a young saxophonist alongside Hugo Weaving and Bruce Spence.
He then become known as Mr Jazz around the traps. Everywhere he went he was either playing jazz or talking jazz. His Jag had the number plates MRJAZZ.
One of Brian’s biggest beliefs was “you should help those who need help, give a voice to those who don’t have one and fight for those who aren’t strong enough to fight for themselves.
This belief led him to run in the 1991 council elections.
He ran on his own ticket and recorded a momentous victory.
It was always the love of the Hawkesbury and its people that made Brian smile.
He loved the town, he loved the river and he loved the feeling of everybody knowing everybody else.
A public funeral service will be held from 11am on Thursday, March 22, at St Matthew’s Catholic Church, located at 12 Tebbutt Street, Windsor.