Carl Kenneth Blacksher

A memorial service will be held February 10, 2018, at 1 p.m. in the Old Lebanon Baptist Church at 6321 Page Street Frisco, TX 75034.

Ken was born June 16, 1933, in Shelby County, Texas, to Edwin and Myrtle Blacksher.

Ken began his career at age 14 working as a delivery boy for his uncle’s grocery store. He learned the art of meat cutting as he was working after school and on Saturdays. He often remarked that he loved what he was doing because he got to meet so many interesting people from all walks of life. George Bush bought bacon from him, and once Barbara Bush came to his store for her Thanksgiving turkey. Ken did not recognize her and thinking she was an average customer, simply pointed to the display of turkeys. Ken worked for 31 years as the Market Manager for Rice Food Markets in Houston. He was a member of United Food and Commercial Workers Union and on several occasions, he successfully negotiated with the union for better health coverage and wages.

Ken came from a Baptist family full of preachers, and led the choir at Harbor Baptist in Houston. He eventually joined his wife in membership in the Presbyterian Church where he led the choir and served as a deacon in one church, stocked the food pantry and scheduled workers in another.

Ken moved to Frisco in 2003. Having served in Citizens on Patrol in Houston for seven years, he eagerly joined the Frisco Citizens on Patrol and served with them for four years.

Ken is survived by his wife of 57 years, Sandra Ogilvie Blacksher; by his children and their spouses, Ellen and Guy McDonald, Cynthia and Terry Sechelski, Carl Kenneth Blacksher, Jr., and Paula and John Mitchell; his grandchildren, Shaun Buckminster, Mande Bowers, Caroline Mitchell and Thomas Mitchell; and his great-grandchildren, Lily Buckminster, Liam Buckminster, Madeline Kirk.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Alzheimer's Disease Research in Ken’s name.