Dr. Keevil wins court case and dies. 1

DR. KEEVIL WINS COURT CASE AND DIES

While I worked for Dr. Keevil I saw a gentle side to the tough business man.  He really enjoyed living at The Hollies. He was divorced twice with 10 grown children yet he lived alone in this huge mansion. I was told to be careful and discrete whenever I would come onto the property. The first thing I was to do was to peak around the west side of the swimming pool and check to see if Dr. Keevil was entertaining a "lady" in the pool or backyard. Skinny dipping was a pastime he liked to share with his companions. He drove a Cadilac Allante with a removable hardtop. Sometimes I'd be called upon to help remove the top. His eyes would light up when he could drive on a sunny day with the top down, and this wasn't often in our rainy Vancouver weather. During my first few months at The Hollies I didn't realize that he was fighting cancer. He seemed so healthy, vibrant and driven with purpose yet this nemesis haunted him.

Around this time Dr. Keevil was waiting for a ruling from the Supreme court of Canada that would give Teck Mining Group control over Cominco.  Apparently it came down to the Court recognizing a "hand shake agreement" between Dr. Keevil and the plaintiff. Dr. Keevil was the victor. I still remember when Dr. Keevil drove home from the hearing, there were people waiting for him congratulating him. His smile could be seen from far away.  I was standing at a distance marveling at how wonderful it must be to be rich. Yet no riches could bribe his nemesis to leave.

When hospital furniture started to arrive and Dr. Keevil's bedroom was moved from the second floor to the mainfloor music room it was clear that the cancer was growing stronger. His hair was getting thin from the chemotherapy. He wasn't going to the office much anymore but sat outside on the rear deck wrapped in a blanket making phone calls and conducting his business. Even Robert Friedland, another Canadian mining mogul, came to visit him and talk shop about mining ventures. Little did I know that I would meet Robert Friedland again some 15 years later involving an intriguing conversation with Prince Charles.