You never quite have long enough with the people you love in this life, and for Louis Tomlinson, it seems he’s learned this lesson again with the loss of his grandfather Keith.
Keith was very interactive with fans of One Direction on social media so when news broke early this morning, thousands tweeted condolences with #RIPKeith trending. Fans shared stories of meeting Keith, of his tweets where he stood up for One Direction fans, and photos of Keith and Louis – showing their support for him during this difficult time.
The Tomlinson-Deakin family have allowed fans into their lives thus directly placing them in the hearts of One Direction fans. When either happiness or tragedy present themselves – the fan base joins together in strength to support the family of one of their heroes. It’s a show of how much the fans care about the boys, not just for their talent, but for the people they are once the stage lights are off.
Keith, like Louis, frequently took to Twitter encouraging One Direction fans to stand up against hate, to do their best regardless of what others said, and let them know that they truly are the best fans in the entire world. While it is never easy to lose anyone, it’s truly heartbreaking to lose someone who put off light the way Louis did.
We’re sure Keith spent his 2016 doing just that, appreciating all of his blessings and enjoying life while respecting all the kindness given to him. Keith definitely lived each day with a zest for life, and the whole world would be better if everyone tried to live the same.
We are sending our thoughts, well wishes and love to the family who knew and loved Keith, to Louis – because experiencing the loss of a grandparent is hard – especially so young, and to anyone who was touched by Keith’s kindness.