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Toby Keith’s family announced initial funeral arrangements for the late country music icon, and said addition information will follow shortly. Keith “passed peacefully…surrounded by his family,” last week, following a battle with stomach cancer. He was 62.
“The Covel Family is hosting a private funeral service for family, band and crew only in mid-February. A memorial service to honor Toby will be announced only on Toby’s socials shortly,” reads a statement posted to Keith’s social media pages over the weekend. “In lieu of flowers, the family appreciates donations to [The Toby Keith Foundation] to support the OK Kids Korral.”
The Toby Keith Foundation launched in 2006 to help children with cancer. The OK Kids Corral opened in 2014 to offer a “cost-free, convenient and comfortable home for pediatric cancer patients receiving treatment at The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center, Stephenson Cancer Center and other nearby facilities,” per the organization’s website.
Keith is survived by his wife, Tricia Lucus — they married nearly four decades ago in March 1984 — and his children, Shelley Covel Rowland, Stelen Keith Covel and Krystal Keith, and grandchildren. Stelen and Krystal have since shared heartfelt tributes to their late father (in addition to many tributes from fans and the country music community as they mourn the legendary artist’s loss), pledging to “forever honor him,” and remembering him as their “hero.”