April 2, 1954 - February 7, 2021
"Hard things are hard." The past few years and especially 2020, although hard for all, arrived for Ken, punching below the belt and never stopped at all. Our champion bravely stepped out of the ring on Saturday, February 7th, forever 66, as his strength and hope turned to peace. Cancer may have taken Ken's life but life is bigger than cancer and he built a big life at warp speed with an exhausting degree of energy!
Ken's VSS high school yearbook entitled 'You've Got A Friend', of which he had SO many, started his graduation bio with "Alive! That's Ken." This adage held true as he continued to dream, work and play big. He kept building a family of "anchor friendships that spanned decades" but always gathered new ones along the way. Friends from his school days will remember his beloved Barracuda crossing paths with them, up & down, up & down, on those infamous 'mainers' where the teens liked to cruise, especially on Friday nights. His garage to this day could be known as the Dodge Lodge with a lifelong loyalty to all things Chrysler.
A Vernon boy from birth, he cemented his roots and foundation on home soil when he purchased his house on Kal Lake at the ripe old age of 25. He proudly and generously shared this beautiful local, first with friends and then with his own family after meeting a red headed fire cracker named Darcy. They built onto their house by the addition of two sons, Scott and Jordan whom they welcomed with love and gratitude. Ken was all in, proud of their accomplishments and an active participant in a multitude of activities alongside or amongst them whether it be on water, snow, land, motorbike trails, race tracks, road trips and trips to both near and distant lands. He was always up for an adventure. He modelled guidance and wisdom, (some probably not so appreciated), integrity, and skills to rival MacGyvor in the use of duct tape and silicone. He especially loved his dog Hannah, cars, Car Club and his weekly spaghetti.
Construction was a pivotal word in his world. After leaving a job with the Lavington Glass Plant in the late 70's for a career as a warehouseman for many large projects, especially pipelines, he got to travel around BC and Canada.
When he retired from this, he went on to become a general contractor, building many houses around Vernon. Then he inadvertently became a partner for Royal Lepage Downtown Realty, a position he was looking forward to being involved in and learning about.
Ken was predeceased by his wife Darcy in June of 2020, and his mom and dad.
He is survived by his sons, Scott, Jordan (Samantha), sisters, Doreen and Poppy, brother Bob and mother-in-law, Paulette and many, many, Aunts, Uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, colleagues, and neighbors, all of whom make up the measure of the man because he made a difference in all our lives and we will miss him dearly.
Ken will be cremated and some of those ashes will be under 'the tree'. There will be no organized celebration of his life but we are pretty sure there will be a few beers or wines raised over the lake this summer. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the McMurtry Baerg Cancer Center via the vjhfoundation.org site.
A very special thanks to Dr. Chris Cunningham as well as Drs Dueck, Lucas, Blyth and Rankin as well as the staff at the Vernon Cancer Center, the Kelowna radiation clinic and Vernon Community Care Nursing.
"Our sun sinks from sight : away, but never gone"
You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence at the family's on-line obituary @ www.MyAlternatives.ca
Arrangements entrusted to Alternatives Funeral & Cremation Services ® Vernon 250-558-0866 & Armstrong 250-546-7237
Alternatives Funeral & Cremation Services ® Vernon