KEITH BLAIS ALDRIGE

Keith Blais Aldrige, 71, passed away on Sunday, April 21, 2024, at Baystate Medical Center after a brief illness. Keith is survived by his sons Marc Hollingshead (fiance Christanne) and Fred Vorck (fiance Kerin) and two grandchildren (Xavier and Lucy). He was predeceased by his brother Bruce in 2017. The family wishes to acknowledge the assistance of two of Keith's very close friends, Greg Smith, and Sigrun Swimm.

Keith was born on September 21, 1952, at Tachikawa Air Force Base in Japan to Dr. Ernest E. Aldrige and Doris L. Aldrige. He moved to Texas where he spent most of his youth until setting out with his brother to Massachusetts. In the 1970s, Keith moved to Reno, NV where he worked as a chef and married briefly.

Most know that Keith worked in healthcare, but he maintained creative gifts that manifested as short story writing and composing music. Keith was a dedicated (lefty) guitar player, practicing as many as seven hours a day at one point, and counted Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck of the Yardbirds, and Mick Taylor and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, as "huge influences" on his playing. Although he admitted he initially hated learning music theory, he credits doing so with his success, and said he came into his own style in 1982.

Keith described himself as extremely spiritual after two near-death experiences and believed steadfastly that there is a God, that we will be reincarnated many times until we get things right, and that the job of each and every one of us is to gain wisdom, knowledge, courage, and compassion while here on earth growing from our mistakes. To that end, he kept a journal of his thoughts on judgment, forgiveness, and redemption.

Funeral Services will be at a future date at the Massachusetts Veterans’  Memorial Cemetery in Agawam.

End-of-life arrangements entrusted to Westfield-Avalon Funeral Home, 4 Princeton St, Westfield, MA 01085  To express condolences, share photos, and memories please visit Keith’s memorial page at www.westfieldfuneralhome.com

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