I'm not sure that meant he suffered alcohol poisoning from too much drink at one time or if it was a long-term, chronic issue related to the booze - Cirrhosis, etc - that ended up killing him (he was suffering the ravages of longterm alcohol abuse already), but I know that Keith had one helluva drinking issue.
Not sure why Keith drank so much, but it stemmed at least in part I think from his destroyed ankle, which happened to him while he was in the service. I met Keith when he was being evicted from one of the real dive motels over on Trinity Lane here in Nashville. This motel in particular is notorious for dope fiends, hookers, and folks who have one finger clinging to the bottom rung of the poverty ladder. Keith had originally contacted Operation Stand Down (OSDN) for some emergency assistance and I ultimately ended up taking a food box to his motel room.
After we met and I was able to get Keith into the agency for some services, he was so thrilled that someone gave a crap about him that he became a volunteer at OSDN back in 2009, then ended up working for several months at the Front Desk reception area, until his love of Earlytimes Whiskey took precedence over his employment obligation. I remember when Denis went out to Keith's apartment after Keith had missed about 4 days in a row of work. Denis found Keith sprawled sideways across a filthy mattress, unconscious and drunk, the bathtub filled to overflowing with empty half gallon jugs of ET whiskey.
Keith went into rehab for a short while, then disappeared off our radars. He'd occasionally show up at OSDN, but usually it was momentary; he'd pick up a document, speak to one of the staff about his pending disability case, or request a small food box.
Denis saw Keith during this period while out on the street performing some outreach and Keith, although drunk, told Denis that he had his drinking "under control" now and that he was able to put down the bottle whenever he "felt like it." He just didn't feel like it right now.
We know that people who experience chronic homelessness due to mental illness, substance use or a combination of both, die much earlier than the their housed counterparts, with the average life expectancy of someone experiencing homelessness around 47. I think Keith beat that, but it wasn't by much.
Rest in Peace, Keith, I guess you've put down the bottle for good now, and I hope wherever your energy has dispersed to, it's a happier place for you, brother.....
