Robb Keayes

Robb Keayes was born on August 15, 1970, in Sydney, Australia, and passed away suddenly on May 18, 2026, at the age of 55. He was a son, brother, father, and friend — loved deeply by many people.

Robb grew up close with his parents Jim and Saundra and his sister Kirrily, with family spread across Australia and England. Though born in Australia, when he was four the family picked up and travelled through Britain and the US. They immigrated to Canada in 1975 and starting in Montreal, they camped across the country settling in Edmonton until he was 14. Eventually they moved to Deep Cove in North Vancouver where he developed his love of skiing.

Robb discovered computers in 1982 at age 12. He taught himself to program on one of the first Texas Instruments computers, the TI994A. He continued this focus through high school and university, earning a Bachelor of Computer Science with honours from Simon Fraser University. He went on to build an international career — working at Morgan Stanley in Tokyo and New York, and  ultimately as a Senior Lead Architect at JP Morgan in New York.

Robb lived for seven years in Tokyo where he met his wife Ai, who shared his love of traveling. They spent eighteen years in New York, and had their daughter Aria in 2014. Some of his favorite places were Angkor Wat, Machu Picchu, the Galápagos Islands, Iceland, and the Whitsundays in Australia. He also often spoke fondly of his Grand Tour through Europe with friends after graduation.

Robb was an avid music lover of all genres. He drummed in a band in high school and later had a fun stint as a DJ in Tokyo. He was an adventurous skier and snowboarder who loved the powder at Hokkaido and Jay Peak, Vermont, where he had a condo he loved. He was a lifelong Dungeons & Dragons player right to the end — a fantasy world that fueled his wondrous imagination. 

Robb loved animals, especially his silly Maine Coon Aurora and his new kitten Jasmine, rescued from the side of a highway — she fit into the palm of his hand when he found her. He had a truly compassionate heart. He supported his favourite charity, the Save a Fox Foundation, and their beloved mascot Finnegan Fox never failed to make him smile.

Above everything, Robb was Aria's dad. She was his greatest joy — brilliant, kind, and set on Harvard and a future in astrophysics. He believed in her completely, and she always carry him with her.

He Is Survived By His daughter Aria, his wife Ai, his parents Jim and Saundra, his sister Kirrily, extended family in Australia, and many friends around the world whose lives he touched.

 We honour him with laughter, music, and gratitude for having known him.