Born in SE London 5/8/50, attended Ivydale Primary school in Nunhead, then enjoyed Alleyn’s School with his great friend Barry, situated in Dulwich, comprising part of the God’s Gift estate of the Shakespearean and Elisabethan actor Edward Alleyn.  Joined the cadets and drama, sang and performed in numerous Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas and swam and played water polo for his school.

 Joined a humble import/export City firm, now a venerable plc. Spread his wings and moved to join ICI at Slough and eventually E Wood based in Herts but which later removed to North Allerton in Yorkshire where it became a successful  exporting company and producer of industrial coatings for things like the then new Kai Chek airport in Hong Kong, London Transport Underground  carriages etc. Travelling widely, Ken helped build up a successful business especially in South Korea, then China and Japan, even for a dodgy while in Russia, then Canada and the USA where  unfortunately E Wood attracted the attention of  a global player, who cherrypicked and finally dismembered the successful Queen’s award winning firm.

Not yet ready to retire but unable to find a similar niche company where he could use his experience, he played an active role in local parish politics and enjoyed planning and executing exciting annual trips to Zambia, South Africa, Ethiopia and Zanzibar , Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, China as well as the Caribbean, USA and Canada and most parts of Europe. His bucket wish to make it to South America  was never to be realised. Surviving a serious almost fatal accident in China and then later a terminal diagnosis of oesophageal cancer with the great support of family and great friends like Jo, Don, Peter, Lydia and many others locally like Kevin and Cyril, he continued to enjoy entertaining, cooking, travelling, politics, reading, theatre, many sports, early on swimming and playing squash especially, then sailing with his great and devoted friend  Mike Pack and designing improvements to the homes he lived in. In 1974, he hitchhiked to find his paternal Swiss roots bringing great joy to his family and the Swiss one. After the unfortunate breakup of his first  marriage to Ann, he married again, enjoying  35 years of married life to Sheila and her family. He had a great capacity for friendship, generosity and spontaneity  and the sad  end to his life should not mar or detract from a life fully and joyfully lived. He died too soon