Ken Curtis
Ken Curtis was a Master. It would not have been in his nature to accept this honorific nor to boast of having such a title but to those of us who knew and loved him, it is a well deserved epitaph. As a Master is to Zen, being human was to Ken. His excellence was obvious in how he treated us: his family, his friends, and the newly met.
He was a lodestone of compassion and camaraderie, an adoring and adored partner in life, and the face in the crowd that radiated warmth. A big dude with a soft heart and a giant laugh that put you at ease and warmed you like a blanket. The velvet voice on the local radio imbuing everyday events with gravitas.
He was an example for us all: fighting for his fellow workers, treating all with kindness and patience, and valuing everybody. As a proud member of the United Steelworkers (USW), he served in numerous leadership roles for Local 21 over the years, fighting for employees at the Escanaba Billerud paper mill.
Ken’s unique charm arose from the contradictions between his burly appearance and his gentle nature. Between his gregarious persona and his solitary passions: hiking through the woodlands, crafting and tinkering in his garage, and escaping to the open road on a motorcycle . An asphalt-paved path for an enlightened man. Think “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” if you want to understand his philosophy.
After graduating from Gladstone High School in 1985, Ken earned an associates degree from Bay de Noc Community College. And we now bestow on him the title of Master: of emotional insight, of empathetic expression, and of endearing intellect.
Talking to Ken left you feeling valued as a person and it would not be anything specific that he said, despite his keen observations and sharp wit, but rather that he heard you. Not just your words, but their meaning. He cared and you knew it and it made you more real in the moment. He made us more alive and the way he lived made us better human beings.
The loss of his light dims our future. He leaves behind: his loving wife Lynn Curtis (née Kaski) with whom he shared 33 years of marriage; son Scott Young (Vandana) and their children Kaiden, Maliha, Zoe, and Bella; son Jeremy Young; son Griffin (Melissa) and their children Freya and Nora; his mother Lois; his brothers Guy (Mary) and Glen (Jen); and his aunt Sandra Carlson. He leaves behind friends too numerous to name and countless others whose life was bettered through his presence.
None of us will get to know Old Man Ken. That path no longer exists. But we will take our better selves forward and light up lives in his absence.
We will be Ken to others.
It’s what the Master would have wanted.
The family will receive friends on Friday, October 4 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Skradski Funeral Home in Gladstone. A Celebration of Ken’s Life and A Time of Sharing will follow at 5 p.m.
To leave the family a message of condolence, go to www.skradskifuneralhomes.com.