KENNETH L NYE, JR

KENNETH L NYE, JR

January 26, 1952 – November 29, 2012

Ken was born in Providence, RI on January 26, 1952 to Kenneth and Margaret Nye. In 1955 the family packed up their car and moved to Anaheim, CA. He had an older brother, Roland and two younger sisters, Rebecca (Schelhorn) and Kathleen (Ura), whom he loved to tease. Ken was active in his church’s youth group and Boy Scouts and always thought of others before himself.

In 1976 Ken decided to move to Washington as the company he was working for relocated to Redmond. It was there that he met his wife, Joni (Cormana). They were married December 8, 1979 in Monroe, WA. They have three children; Joshua, Patrick, and Kendra.

Ken’s life revolved around his faith, family, friends and his deep respect for freedom. He knew what his responsibilities were towards his wife and family and took these responsibilities seriously, even if it may not have been the popular thing to do. One of his favorite Bible verse was I Peter 3:15; “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”  History was an important factor in Ken’s life as he believed you needed to know our history in order to avoid the mistakes of the past. He realized that his freedom stopped when it infringed upon another’s freedom. He enjoyed conversing with others about different topics, and would always find a time in history to prove his point.

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” (John 15: 12-14). This verse had a special meaning to Ken as it was not only Ken and Joni’s wedding verse, but it was the verse he lived by. He was a wonderful and loving husband who enjoyed surprising his wife with unexpected gifts. His love for his children was evident by the time he spent with them; whether it be reading to them from a very young age, working outside while they played in the trees, or taking the family on special day trips and a treat at Big Scoop. His family always came first while his work was a means to support his family. Whatever work he did, he took pride in doing it…whether it be delivering papers, making pizza, molding plastic parts, making airplane parts, building airplanes, or driving truck. He strived to do his best and he was a man of his word. He tried to instill in his children that a man’s word and character was more valuable than gold.

Ken adored his two grandchildren; Alexander and Shelby. He would always make sure he gave them morning hugs and always had special treats for them. He even claimed to have a magical closet where special gifts would appear for them. They were his pride and joy and being with them made his days brighter.

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.” (Psalm 96:1). During his struggle with prostrate cancer, he would always count his blessings. He lived each day to the best of his ability, despite the pain he endured. On November 29, 2012, Ken passed from his earthly home to his Heavenly home.

Ken was preceded in death by his dad, Kenneth, his brother Roland, and his mom Margaret. He is survived by his wife Joni, his son Joshua (Jacque), his son Patrick (Mandy), his daughter Kendra, grandchildren Alexander and Shelby, his sisters Rebecca and Kathleen, his Aunt Dottie and Aunt Lee, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Ken’s memorial service will be held on December 29, 2012, at 1:00pm at Monroe Community Chapel c/o Cascade Community Church, 14377 Fryelands Blvd SE, Monroe, WA  98272.   Because of the wonderful care and support of the hospice and medical team, the family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Ken’s name to Providence Hospice and Home Care of Snohomish County, 2731 Wetmore Avenue, Suite 500, Everett, WA  98201 or Providence Regional Cancer Partnership, 171 13^th Street, Everett, WA  98201.