1931
Kenneth
2016
Kenneth R. King
March 26, 1931 — September 10, 2016
Kenneth R. King, 85, of Marion, passed away on Saturday, September 10, 2016 at 1:05 pm at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Indiana.
Ken was born on March 26, 1931, in London, where his father James was serving as Sergeant-Major in the Grenadier Guards, the most senior infantry regiment in the British Army. He was one of three children to James and Ida King, with an elder brother James and younger sister Wynne.
The family moved to the county of Suffolk in England, but they were split up at the outbreak of World War II after the army commandeered their house. Ken went to live in Stowmarket, Suffolk, with his maternal grandmother Ellen Jacob and aunt Vera Jacob. After the war the family was reunited and lived in the village of Bramford, near Ipswich in Suffolk. Ken then went to London to medical school to train as a nurse. He loved travel, and after qualifying in the early 1950s he went to work in Norway for a year, and then to Australia, before returning to the UK. At the beginning of the 1960s he moved to the USA, and found a job at a hospital in Chicago. He was able to study as an anesthetist at St. Johns Hospital in Springfield.
Ken married Elinor Sines on October 18, 1963 in Highland Park, Illinois and together they shared over 38 years of marriage until her death on April 29, 2002.
Ken never forgot his English roots and loved to make frequent trips back to the UK to visit his family and friends, often on the QE2 (Queen Elizabeth II) liner. Ken moved to Victoria BC to be near his brother Jim, he made many friends and loved living there for 5 years. He was a member and former Elder of the 1st Presbyterian Church in Marion. Ken was a faith community nurse and was an advocate for health and wellness at his church. He was a member of the Marion Rotary Club. He retired as a CRNA from the Marion Department of Veteran’s Affairs Hospital.
Ken is survived by his sister Wynne Browes, his nephews Steve, Chris, Paul and Mark in the UK, and his nieces Jill and Sandy and sister in law Betty in Canada. Special friends Carol Jeffries-Chester, Lisa Vick, Rev. & Mrs. Dan Whitfield, Jan Collins, Frank Dueker, Bill Mommsen and many others.
Preceded by his Parents, wife – Elinor, brother – James.
Memorial services will be Monday, September 26, 2016 at 10:30 am at 1st Presbyterian Church in Marion with Rev. Laurie Fields officiating. Visitation will be Monday the 26th from 9:00 am until the time of service at the church. Mitchell-Hughes Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
For those who prefer memorials may be made to the Marion Medical Mission. Envelopes will be available and accepted at Mitchell-Hughes Funeral Home, 800 North Market Street, Marion, Illinois 62959 or at the church the day of the service.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Kenneth R. King, please visit our flower store.
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