Kenneth Alvin Denzer

A man of immense musical talent, he brought joy to everyone who listened to him play the piano or heard his singing voice. While the sounds of his music have ended, it will endure in our hearts and minds forever.

Preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Arlene Denzer; daughter, Laurie Beck; and brother Donald Denzer.

Kenneth will be profoundly missed by his children: David (Linda) Denzer, Dana Denzer, Holly Denzer, and Jon (Wanda) Denzer; grandchildren: Matthew (Anne) Elmstrom, Ryan (Maggie) Denzer, Robert (Emily) Denzer, Ramsey (Alyssa) Larson, Sydni Larson, Bailey Kramer, and Eric (Allyson) Larson; great-grandchildren: Jillian, Claire, James, Adaline, Natalie, Nora and Oaken; and sons-in-law: Brian Beck and Keith Larson.

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 900 Stillwater Road, Mahtomedi. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service, with a dessert-reception immediately following the service.

Ken was born on December 14, 1928 to William (“Bill”) and Florence Denzer. He fondly looked up to and admired his older brother Don, frequently complimenting him on his keen architectural skills. At 7 or 8 years old, Ken began piano lessons with a woman from the family’s local church, Central Park Methodist. His lessons continued into high school and drove his interest in singing and playing the piano into his adult years. He attended Washington High School followed by Macalester College in St. Paul, graduating with a degree in Music Education and a minor in Spanish. One day, after following his friend Clarence Johnson home from college classes, Ken met the “girl of his dreams” – Clarence’s younger sister, Arlene. The two of them quickly fell in love and ultimately married at First Lutheran Church in St. Paul, Arlene’s home church, on August 26, 1950.

Because it was taking them a while to have children naturally, Ken and Arlene decided to adopt and, in 1957, they brought home their beautiful little girl whom they named Laurel Jo. Shortly thereafter, the ‘flood gates opened’ with the birth of son David in 1959, daughters Dana in 1960 and Holly in 1961, and the birth of son Jon in 1969, completing their family of 7. Particularly as he aged into his 80s and 90s, it was obvious there was nothing more precious to Ken than being able to see the faces of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren so that he could kiss cheeks and hold hands with us for as long as we’d let him during family and individual visits. He was a friend and active companion to each of us in special ways, whether it was in exploring the sights along the north shore near Duluth, taking a drive to southern MN to his grandmother’s hometown of Galesville, WI, watching a good Twins’ game on TV, or singing around the piano together.

Following his college graduation, marriage and a brief stint at his first teaching job in Amboy, MN, Ken was drafted and spent two years in the US Army based in El Paso, TX. Upon his return to MN, he and Arlene built a modest home in Roseville which was designed by his brother Don and built by his father, Bill. Ken worked for Standard Oil downtown St. Paul for a short period before returning to his first love of teaching, landing at Highland Park Jr. High where he taught choral music for the majority of his career. Ken’s kids very proudly recall attending the annual musical productions that Ken so tirelessly put together with his students at Highland Park over the years, including “Li’l Abner”, “The Music Man”, and “Bye Bye Birdie”. Ken retired from full-time teaching in 1985 but continued to substitute teach for a bit and then, after feeling a little restless, he went to work for the US Army Corps of Engineers in St. Paul for a number of years thereafter.

In addition to his teaching, Ken held a sundry of part-time positions and participated in a variety of music-related activities over the years, becoming a true Twin Cities’ “Music Man”. He was choir director and/or organist at various churches, with his first organ job being at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in the 1950s-‘60s and his last being with Salem Lutheran Church in West St. Paul where he stayed on well into his ‘70s. He sang in the Macalester Church choir, at the Jewish Temple in St. Paul, with the “Dale Warland Singers” and the “International Singers” – both groups of which toured around the world – and with numerous other choral groups across the Twin Cities. When Ken wasn’t directing a church choir, singing with a group himself or unleashing an organ’s power chords to “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”, he was passionately accompanying the 3M Men’s Chorus which he joyfully did for 38 years, or the South St. Paul Chorus -- both organizations through which Ken developed lifelong friendships and a great sense of accomplishment.

Although music was Ken’s passion, he was also a vigorous reader well into his 90s, particularly loving his Grisham and Ludlum novels. In his earlier years he loved gardening and painting, both skills of which he put to use at the family homes in the Battle Creek area of east St. Paul and at Ken and Arlene’s retirement twin-home in Woodbury. In 2014, they reluctantly moved into their first senior’s residential community, and, following Arlene’s passing in 2016, Ken lived temporarily in various locations before eventually landing at Boulder Ponds Sr. Living in Lake Elmo in 2023. While there, Ken continued to showcase his musical talents by playing piano for residents and staff and by sharing his joy of singing with the nurses and aides, never ceasing to amuse them with his tendency to shout out an impressive operatic note or to playfully offer a harmonious tune regardless of time or place (yes, including while ‘doing his business’ in the bathroom or while being given a bubble bath). Ken was truly loved by all at Boulder Ponds, and the Denzer family will be forever grateful for the incredible support, love and friendship each of the nursing and aide staff provided to our dad in his time there.

While saddened by the loss of our beloved father, the Denzer children feel blessed knowing he lived a long and fruitful life which intersected with so many wonderful people, and we consider our dad’s many lifelong friends to be a testimony to a life well-lived. We will miss his relentless humor and his warmth. His music will continue to be an inspiration that resonates in our hearts and our souls forever; and we’re certain our dad is looking down upon us now whilst singing a joyful little tune. We are grateful to the Lord who gave him to us to know and love. It is that same Lord he served as a church musician for so many years who is true to His promise that all those who believe in Him will live forever in and with Him. Thanks to all of you for being a part of our dad's story and for celebrating his life’s journey with us.