Oh boy.
Our little part of the world has been hit with super sad news.
In the early morning on Thursday, Ken passed away. My sister Julie,
his brother John, and the boys' mom, Nia were by his side and helped him
through the end of his journey with cancer. It was seven months from discovery to the end, and we all thought that he would be here for several more months. His death was a surprise in coming so soon.
Ken's going is a great
loss for so many people ... he specialized in touching lives and loving
others. I choose to not look at it as cancer winning ... Ken won, as
he really lived his life and used his talents and his heart
to make a huge difference in his world. I am so sad for my sister, who
has lost her true love, and for his boys, Boon and Kaz, and his mom and
the rest of his family and many friends.
A bright light in our world is
gone, physically, but I know that Ken will live on in our hearts and
memories and that he will be watching and encouraging forever after.
RIP, Ken. It has been an honor knowing you.
Thank you to so many of you guys, my blog friends, who have followed Ken's journey and have prayed for him and his.
Hugs,
Kathy M.
_______________________________________
Julie posted Ken's obituary yesterday on Facebook, and I am going to put it on here for those who might be searching for info about Ken in the future. Our hearts are so sad; it has been a week now. Thank you to everybody who has been so supportive.
"Yesterday, I submitted Ken's Obituary to six different newspapers - a
testament to the many communities he's been a part of over the last 48
years. I want to post it here, too,
because his social media community was a huge and important part of his
life over the past three years. I hope to see, and meet, many of you at
his memorial on November 16th in Brownsville. We are working on setting
up a Livestream event for those who want to see it online. Thanks for
all your love and support." ~ Julie Anderson
“Be yourself, know your beauty, own your mood,
stand in your power.” ~ Ken Richter
Kenneth Wayne Richter of Brownsville, Oregon died on October 29th, 2014
after a short but fierce battle with Esophageal Cancer. Ken was born on
September 13, 1966 in Burns, OR to Kenneth M. Richter of Union, and
Susan Hammer Owens, of Harrisburg, Oregon. He spent his early childhood
in The Dalles, OR, and his junior high and high school years in Bonanza,
OR. He also lived in Corvallis, OR for many years before moving to
Brownsville.
Ken is survived by his sons Boon and Kazner Richter,
his step-daughter Julie Logan, and his life partner, Julie Anderson.
Ken was also a step-dad “in spirit” to Julie’s kids, Kaili, Liza and
Zane Anderson of Eugene, and a co-parent and friend with his boys’
mother, Nia DeShon of Brownsville.
Ken is greatly missed by all
his family and friends, including his parents, his step dad Steve Owens,
his sisters, Missy O’Gorman, Heather Richter Thorp and Leslie Owens;
his brother John Owens; nieces Sarah O’Gorman, nephews Josh O’Gorman,
Kaden Thorp and Porter Owens. He was a treasured friend to his
co-workers at Rosen Aviation in Eugene, Oregon, and the thousands of
people around the world who have met him through his online social media
communities, where he was known as @kwrkey, and shared his music, his
optimism, and his great sense of humor.
In Ken’s own words:
“I grew up in a town of 500 people in the middle of nowhere. I worked on
farms and ranches in evenings and early mornings and on weekends. I
played high school sports, performed with the jazz band, and was even
playing country music in bars with a local country band at the tender
age of 16. I grew up and moved on to logging and commercial fishing to
earn money for college. I finally completed my college degree after 7
years of stopping and starting as money would allow, while captaining a
3-time champion rugby team.
After college, I spent time running
my own pumpkin patches and Christmas tree lots in LA, starting up a tent
rental business and then eventually ended up as a tech writer at
Hewlett Packard, when my kids were young. All these experiences have
knit together to give me a unique view of the world. I have a good sense
of what is important and what shapes my perspective of being a good
man. I used to think it was being tough, working hard and never backing
down from life’s challenges… it still is, kind of, but those things
don’t make you a good man. Being a good man requires kindness and
compassion. It requires owning your mistakes and being yourself.
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and standing in your power.
The things I value most in life are being a dependable father and a
positive community role model. I am proud of my choices. Proud to be the
dad who cooks for stray kids who ‘happen by’ at dinner time, the dad
who sits down at the kitchen table and helps with homework, the dad who
pitches the ball for all the kids in the cul-de-sac until everyone gets a
chance at bat, the dad who leads by example in making hard life
choices, the dad who’s known for showing compassion and kindness even
when it’s hard, and the dad who expects good manners and a hug
goodnight.”
I want my boys to be free thinkers. I want them to
be brave, kind, ethical and honorable. I know they will learn these
things by watching me. I take parenting seriously, and I know that I’m
not only influencing my kids, but their friends and our community
members.
Aside from parenting, I love creating music. I use music
to connect with people. Professionally, I am the Director of Resources
at Rosen Aviation, a company that makes flat screen monitors for private
jets. A bird’s eye view of my personal and professional journey through
life would look a lot like a winding river.
Sometimes I wonder how
a small town boy like me ended up as a corporate man doing business
management for a company that makes luxury products for million dollar
jets. I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”
Rest in peace, Ken Richter. You were a bright light in a weary world, and the universe will treasure your spirit forever.
A celebration of life memorial will be held for Ken at the Brownsville
Rec Center: 234 Park St, Brownsville, OR 97355 on November 16th, 2014
from 11:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
For those who would like to
contribute to college trust fun for Boon and Kazner Richter, an account
has been set up at KeyBank, 2829 W. 11th Eugene OR. 97402. The title
of the account is Ken Richter Memorial Fund.
Adious, Ken. Our hats are off to you!
