Brian Keogh with his daughter, Donna, six months before she disappeared (Image: Evening Gazette)
Emotional tributes have been paid to a courageous father and true gentleman who fought for his murdered daughter to the bitter end.
Brian Keogh died on the morning of Saturday, July 26, after an illness that he bravely fought. A former Green Howard, Brian worked as a doorman in his younger years and went on to run his own family business in plastering and damp-proofing before retiring just last year.
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A father-of-three, his life was ripped apart in April 1998 when his daughter Donna disappeared aged just 17. Since then Brian has maintained a determined and relentless campaign to find answers to what happened to his “bubbly and ambitious” girl.
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He fought his battle with his wife Shirley always by his side who said his death had caused her heart “to break into a million pieces”. Despite the family’s devastating loss, she said she will continue their fight and will never give up hope in finding answers.
Brian believed they were close to finding the truth to what happened to Donna. Even the day before he died, he told Shirley he “still had so much to do.”
“He was hellbent on keeping the fight going,” she told Teesside Live. “Even the day before he died he kept mentioning it; he just wanted a bit more time. I know he would have wanted me to express his thanks for all the support in Middlesbrough.”
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Brian died aged 69 after suffering with a lung condition connected to his work. Throughout his life, Brian had always maintained a high level of physical fitness and doctors said it was his strength which had helped him fight the condition and be able to return home after stays in hospital.
Shirley said the care Brian received at James Cook University Hospital was second to none. “The nurses were even phoning up on their days off to check on him,” she said.
“He got so much support from everybody and was overwhelmed by it. The last four months got hard for him but he kept fighting – he always stayed fit and looked after himself and they said his physical condition had helped him so much.”
Brian was a much-loved father-of-three to Brian, 48, Michael, 43, and Donna and a treasured grandad of Chanyce, 24, Jimmy, 20, and Tia-Rose, 18. Brian and Shirley have always always maintained it was their family and the people of Middlesbrough who have kept them going as they battled for answers.
In a post on Facebook sharing the tragic news, Chanyce said Brian was the most important man in all their lives. “We will never understand why but have the comfort in knowing he’s back in the arms of his beautiful daughter Donna and is out of pain,” she wrote.
“He was one in a million and we will never, in this life or the next, meet anyone like him. He wasn’t just our grandad, he was our dad, best friend and our hero.”
A proud military history
Donna had dreamed of joining the Royal Navy and following in the footsteps of a proud military family. Brian took the Queen’s Shilling at 15, served with the Green Howards and left military college with diplomas.
His brother was an officer, his father a submariner during the Second World War, and his grandfather served with the Irish Guards in the First World War. As a youngster, Donna loved to listen to her dad’s stories and memories from his own time serving in the armed forces.
He studied Military History (descriptive) at Teesside University and would give talks each Remembrance Sunday after the service at the Cenotaph.
Shirley is currently organising Brian’s funeral and the details will be shared when they are arranged. “The day before he made sure we knew what he wanted and wrote it all down,” she said.
“He wants the Union Jack flag on his coffin and he will get a bugler. Everything he wanted he will get because he deserved it.”
“The ultimate tragedy”
Brian and Shirley had longstanding complaints against Cleveland Police over the handling of the daughter’s case. Last seen at a house party on Bow Street, Donna’s body has never found but it is believed she was murdered.
They have been supported by Teesside solicitor Simon Walker who they instructed to help as they took their complaints further. Brian was always keen to express his thanks to Mr Walker for his help.
Paying his own tribute, Mr Walker told Teesside Live: “The impression I always got of him was he was a gentle man in the truest sense of the word. He spoke straight and spoke his mind but he was always polite and respectful, and thankful and appreciative of anything anybody seemed to do for him.
“He did contact me a while ago to say there was some movement, he thought. That is the ultimate tragedy that he hasn’t lived long enough to see a resolution of this.
“He was old school, ex-forces and we used to have long chats because some of my friends and family are ex-forces.” Mr Walker also said he he remained determined to continue helping Donna’s family find answers.
Gazette’s own tribute
Brian had long maintained a relationship with The Gazette and in 2013, he and Shirley kindly welcomed me into their home to share the heart-breaking story of their beloved Donna.
Brian always declined interviews with national media but was eager to keep his local newspaper updated on Donna’s case as he felt a strong connection to the people of Middlesbrough. He also believed the long-awaited answers surrounding his daughter’s disappearance rested in the town.
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Each time we spoke he would ask for his gratitude to be expressed to the Teesside community and his solicitor Simon Walker, in our articles. He felt they always had his back
I spoke to Brian when he was in hospital just a week before his sad death and he was adamant the fight wasn’t over. He told me he had more news to share and when he was well again he would invite me round for a cuppa and a chat about the latest developments.
News of his passing brought much sadness to our newsroom. He believed he was not far from finding some answers to the many questions he and Shirley had held for so long.
Despite facing such heartache and frustration along the way, Brian always battled for his daughter with the heart of a lion. He believed his family had been let down by Cleveland Police, particularly at the start of the investigation into Donna’s disappearance, however his composure and utmost respect for others never faltered.
Brian boasted enviable resilience and strength, he was well-spoken and his manners were impeccable. He was a salt-of-the-earth, hardworking and highly intelligent family man and these facts are reflected in the scores of tributes paid on social media from those who knew, admired and loved him.
Personally speaking, I will remember Brian for his love of his family, pride in its military history and his momentous and unwavering campaign for justice and truth. I hope he is now resting in peace and that his legacy helps finally bring justice for Donna and all her family.