Ken Himes CD, was born in 1932 in Fort William, Ont. and although he fought for every breath before he died, he passed away on the 16th of January 2015. Ken was predeceased by his daughter, Chrystal Celeste; his brother, Walter and his former wife, Doreen. He is survived by his beloved wife, Beverly, estranged son, Ken Jr.; daughter, Coral (Steve); grandchildren, Steven, Andrew and Adam; his stepson, Tim (Michelle); stepdaughter, Tracy (Byron); half-brothers, Steve (Patty) and Albert; his grandchild, Nicole; his great grandchildren, Ava, Liam and Finn and his “West Coast Kids”, Derek and Pat.
Ken had many careers during his life, including owning the Sleeping Giant Dairy in Thunder Bay Ont. but his heart was always with the military. Ken joined the Royal Canadian Regiment in Winnipeg and after basic training in 1953, was sent to Korea. He fought at the Battle of Hill 187, where 27 members of his company were lost, including his best friend. Ken retired from the service as a Warrant Officer and in 1983, he joined the Korean Veteran’s Association (KVA). In his 30+ years with the KVA, he assisted with the opening of new KVA chapters in Sault Ste Marie and Minnesota and was the Sergeant at Arms for the Pacific Region. He returned to Korea with fellow veterans for the 50th Anniversary of the Korean Armistice. Ken had many honours bestowed upon him during his life, including being a life member of the General John M. Rockingham Memorial Unit # 1 and was an Honorary Member of the U.S. Marines.
Thank you to Dr. Jong and the nurses, caregivers and support staff at Birch Cottage, Heritage Woods for their compassionate care.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch # 91 in Langford on the Thursday, the 22nd of January from 1pm until 4pm. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Society in Ken’s name. He will be missed by friends and family. Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Bros. Funeral Home
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Tim Passley (step-son)
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Tracey Millar May God bring you peace at this time. We are praying for you.
Byron &Tracey
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Lyn Makolowich (Himes) I was sorry to hear of my brothers passing. It’s comforting to know he’s finally at peace.
Lyn
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Tony Prudori I just read about Ken’s passing. I was luck enough to cross paths with him during my service in the Reserves, and remember a man who held a lot of valuable, hard-won knowledge of the brutal work of war while, at the same time, being approachable and always willing to share with younger up-and-coming troops.
He will be missed – condolences to the family.
Tony
Ken came into my life at a critical time and had the patience to guide me through my teen years. Every time I had hard questions to ask he was there with more patience and wisdom to add. He never tried to change me or alter my direction in life; he had the vision to see where I was headed in life even before I could see it, he just guided me along. I always respected him for that; he had a way of directing and guiding people around him to be their best.
Even later in life, I would call him during difficult times and he was always there to offer advice and to be the rock that I needed. He had his difficult times to say the least; he knew what PTSD was long before the doctors ever figured it out. He dealt with it in his own way and still aspired to the highest rank an NCO can get, Chief Warrant Officer. He inspired his troops with skill, leadership, and confidence. He did that for me and plenty more.
A last, Rest in Peace Sergent Major ; your battle is over.
I will miss him very much.
Tim