Birth date: Aug 1, 1949 Death date: Aug 12, 2017
Ken Harris, 68, of St. Pete Beach and formerly of Danville, CA, passed away at his home on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Born in Jamaica, New York and raised in New Hyde Park, NY, Ken was the ultimate adventurer, mentor and leader. K Read Obituary
We met on Arthur's Pass in New Zealand. We shared our love for nature and the outdoors. 1991, during my 3 weeks stay (18/06 - 07/07/1991) with Ken in California.
Ken was my boss, mentor and friend in the mid-80s at Empire Savings and Loan in Denver. He was in his mid-30s, and I was 10 years younger. Although I'm 5 years behind on this news, I am saddened by his passing. I am not surprised by what I've read here about him and how he lived his life. He was always the way he is described- professional when needed but fun as hell to work for. Always had a vision, and his was keen. Unique, yet made you wonder why you didn't see it earlier, because the way he would describe it, it was in plain sight. I was a young manager then, who grew up to be an SVP and CIO at a Fortune 500 company, so thank you Ken and rest assured that your investment in me was always appreciated!
I had the pleasure of working with Ken, as his Executive Assistant, at Shaklee. He would joke around with IT and others. Very down-to-earth, personable, quick-witted, would give advice when asked/needed both professionally/personally. Would be serious, when needed, to do his job though. I just found out about his passing and am shocked and saddened. I will always remember the great times I had with him for 7 years. Never a dull moment a lot of the time with Ken around! To Pam and Brett - I'm so sorry. He always spoke highly of you two.
Uncle Ken was a great man, looked up to by many. He had a great sense of humor and I loved listening to him and my father kid around and try to "out-pun" each other when they were together. Ken was one of the kindest, most generous people I've ever known and he gave so much to so many. He fought his illness so bravely for many years, maintaining his spirit and that famous sense of humor throughout. He will be deeply missed. Pam & Brett our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. Love Bill, Wendi, Isabella & Luci.
Starbucks
I once had the pleasure of going on a 300-mile road trip with Ken, where he had to stop at every Starbucks he passed—and I mean EVERY Starbucks, just because when he stopped at the very first one, I jokingly quipped, “Are you going to stop at every Starbucks you see?” BIG MISTAKE on my part! If you tell Ken to go right, he will without fail, go left.
On top of stopping at every Starbucks, he would also make this silly “BEEP! BEEP!! BEEP!!!” alert when he would see that a Starbucks was coming up. I'm not sure when he made the “BEEP” alert a running gag of his, but it may very well have been on that trip—if so, I apologize to anyone who has been subjected to it.
If anybody else had done these things, they would be considered annoying and obnoxious. Ken had that certain special something that made him endearing, instead of annoying—I suspect his big Cheshire cat grin had a lot to do with what he got away with.
The other silly thing that he did at Starbucks, which started way before I met him, and lasted the whole 13 years that I’ve known him, was telling the Starbucks baristas that his coffee was for “Me.” The conversation would always go the same way:
Barista, “Who is the coffee for sir?”
Ken, “Me.”
“Who?”
“Me. M - E.”
(2 minutes pass)
“I have a Venti latte for Me.”
Ken, chuckles.
Ken never let you buy his coffee, and he never let you down. I will forever be grateful for his friendship. I am heartbroken that I will not get to enjoy his company or be the butt of his joke one more time. I will treasure the memories I have and will hold him in my heart until the day I get to see him again. All my coffees will be for “Me” my friend.
To Pam and Brett, thank you for sharing him with us. He loved you both more than words can describe.
With love, Chris
I will always remember Ken's crazy sense of humor. I can't begin to say how many times I got "suckered" by one of his stories. Even though I always had my guard up and was ready for him, he always seemed to get the best of me. Ken truly had the gift of intellectual humor down pat! You had to be on your toes around him whether it was playing cards, dominoes, or watching the game, you had to be ready for the sneak attack. Even though I was a NY Giants fan and Ken rooted for the Broncos, we could still enjoy the games together. I will never forget the time he treated us (Kim, Malcolm, and me) to the Bucs vs. Giants game, what phenomenal seats!! So many memories from a great friend. You sir, will be missed.
Joe & Kim Murray
I was always lured into the seemingly true story only to find out after intricate details, twists and turns, none of it was true, it was usually some corny ending that I should have seen coming. At the end he would crack a faint smile, tilt the head and move on to another topic, or another joke webbed into yet another story. Ken had a great knack for lightning a moment or being able to turn a complaint into a laughable moment. One particular occasion stands out. Someone in the group had commented on how the pavers in the Village should be heated because they were so slippery people we're falling down everywhere. Ken immediate seizes the moment and is able to paint this horrific picture of bodies and dogs sprawled all over the Village flattened to the pavers. His verbal picture was hysterical, Brett, Amy and Austin all laughing and chiming in. Just one of the many fun moments with Ken. So Many Stories! So Many Great Memories! Thank you Ken!
Uncle Ken was in our eyes the Uncle we looked up to with his kindness, generosity and love of life! He was a gentle giant and always made you feel like your time with him was special and important. When I graduated from graduate school he wrote to me and asked if I would be interested in flying out to see him, Pam and little Brett (only 6 at the time). When I came to visit Ken and Pam made me feel like I was at home. Their home was mine. Same when I went to their Florida house. The Ciesla nieces and nephew adored Ken and Pam and treasured the times we saw them. Our family trip for my Dad's 60th was a time we will always remember. Not only was Ken a free spirit but he never forgot where his roots came from. His family meant the world to him and he fought every day since 2004 for Pam and Brett. I will always admire his tenacity and love of life. You will be missed but never forgotten. Love from NY Karen and Julia
I remember Ken as a cousin who was older and more worldly than I was . He was so much fun. I particularly remember a thunder storm when visiting his home in new Hyde park. Everyone was scared. But he took us down stairs to play records. Such fond memories of a cousin gone to soon. He seemed so much older than me but it turns out to be only one year !!!! To his wife , son , and brothers and sister in law. As well as his nieces and nephews may your cherished memories help you in this difficult time. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Marge Caputo
It is with the fondest of thoughts that I remember my brother-in-law Ken. He was the ultimate wanderer who lived life to the fullest. A generous, fun-loving person, he was always there for his family.
Every time I would see Ken he would greet me with his signature, "Howdy," and give me a big hug. I would always ask him, "Ken, did you grow since I last saw you?" because he was so tall. He would just flash that winning smile of his.
I will always remember his kindness and generosity to our family and so many others.
I think of Ken when I read these words of Lauren Bacall: "You don't always win your battles, but its good to know you fought." As everyone who knew him will attest - Ken fought.
He will truly be missed.
With love,
Mary Ciesla
