On Saturday, a pair of goats led a crowd of Barnum residents around the west Denver neighborhood to celebrate the life of Kurtis Keele.
Keele, who died on Dec. 1 at the age of 72, could be seen most Saturdays walking the chubby, beaded-eyed goats around the neighborhood, bringing joy to those lucky enough to spot them. The goats belonged to Lowell Street Community Garden, which was opened in 1997 by Denver Urban Gardens.
But to those who knew him best, Keele was more than “Barnum’s goat guy.” Sporting a shaved head and a long gray beard, he was a community builder who cared about his neighbors.
“He started running that community garden and he really built it up to be the heart of the Barnum community,” said longtime friend Mary Adamski.
While most of his work centered on the community garden, Keele was known to his community as a constant helping hand. Several people had near-identical stories of coming home to find Keele working in their back or front yard doing menial tasks, asking nothing in return.
