Obituary of Kenneth F. Perdue

Ken Perdue passed away peacefully at his home in Yamhill, Oregon on October 30, 2018 after battling a long illness. He was a loving husband, father, uncle, cousin and friend. He will be remembered by those who loved him for being quick with a joke and always having a story to tell. Ken was born in Orange, Texas on June 14, 1944 to Samuel and Freda Perdue. He was a classic military brat, moving across the country and world with his father’s Navy career. His family was from Stockton, California but Ken made his entrance to this world as Freda was traveling from Stockton by way of Texas to meet Sam at a new posting in Norfolk, Virginia. Ken grew up in a number of different Navy towns all over the country including San Diego, Alameda, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Boston, Bremerton, Mare Island, and Stockton. In 1959, the family moved overseas for duty in Taiwan where they remained for three years. Ken attended high school in Taiwan with other military dependents and came away with many lifelong friends and some of the best memories of his life. After returning to the states, he graduated from West Covina High School, then attended several years of courses at Mt. San Antonio College. In all, he attended 17 different schools as he was growing up. Ken, in what would become a lifelong career, began working at a young age in the telephone industry as a cable splicer, eventually working his way up to the position of engineer. His work took him from California to the Philippines, back to California, then on to Oregon, Alaska, Vermont, and Washington state. Especially close to his heart were the years that Ken lived in Juneau. He loved the outdoor life and found many new Alaska friends who shared his interests. Some of his favorite memories of that time involved flying into lakes that were 100+ miles from any road to camp and fish with family and friends. He claimed that the fishing was so good that “you had to hide behind a tree to bait your hook”. In addition to being an avid fisherman and hunter, Ken loved to play guitar and explore historic sites. He was a champion trap-shooter, a private pilot, and, at times, a waterfowl guide and fly shop owner. After marrying his wife Susan (whom he justifiably claims to have turned into a fishing fanatic) in 1998, the couple bought an ocean-going boat and spent 13 memory-filled summers at the Oregon coast, sharing their adventures with family and friends. Ken is survived by Susan, his wife of 20 years, his daughters Aimee Perdue and Tracy Benjamin, stepsons Eli Glad and Liam Glad, niece Laurie Thomas, cousins Jay Perdue, Colleen Keller, Cammie Solima, and Sandy Daniels, and his daughter of the heart Ale Dafoe. He was preceded in death by his parents Samuel and Freda Perdue, and his sister Patricia Thomas. A celebration of Ken’s life will be held at the Oregon coast in early spring with date and time to be determined. Ashes will be scattered in a private ceremony in the Alabama Hills of California, located to the west of the town of Lone Pine and in the shadow of Mt. Whitney. As a fan of the old westerns, Ken wished to be laid to rest where so many of the movies and TV shows that he loved were filmed. If desired, memorial contributions may be made to: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org/give.html