Today Luton says goodbye to a giant of our town – Mr Dennis Keech OBE.
His contribution to jobs and the local economy, through the many engineering and manufacturing businesses he created, over decades is one thing but he was also a serial benefactor to so many good causes locally, nearly all of which went unpublicised, as he preferred.
His family’s greatest legacy is, of course, their £1m. contribution to the foundation of Keech Cottage Children’s Hospice that was officially opened in the year 2000.
Since its beginnings, Keech Hospice Care’s children’s service has cared for 1,487 children and supported 2,841 of their family and friends, across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes.
If you would like to honour his memory, the family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to Keech Hospice Care via
If you wish to donate to support Keech Cottage Hospice with a single donation or monthly you can find all the information you need via this link Donate to Keech Hospice
Thursday 20th January 2022
Save Our Town were saddened to learn of the sudden passing, on Wednesday, of one of THE great people of our town, Mr. Dennis Keech OBE.
We send our sincere condolences to his wife Shirley and their children.
There can be few people locally unaware that Dennis donated £1million to the fund that helped build Keech Children’s Hospice in 1997 at Bramingham. This outstanding organisation evolved into the hugely important Keech Hospice Care.
Although a Londoner by birth Dennis was a Lutonian by choice. He made as big a contribution to the town and area as any person in its long history. Few people know the extent of Dennis’ contribution to good causes – but there were many. He had numerous interests in the regional engineering industry with strong links to Vauxhall Motors. He went to Detroit to do a deal to save the AC Delco plant at Dunstable many years ago.
Dennis took a great interest in Save Our Town’s campaign to help create an Industrial Heritage Centre in Luton, celebrating our town’s long and prestigious reputation for engineering excellence and manufacturing. Several lunches were consumed discussing the project and receiving wise counsel from Dennis.
We shall not see his like again but we’ll strive to achieve the industrial heritage vision that we’re sure would have delighted him and made him proud. RIP Dennis