Kenneth LeBron Sweet

Ken was born in Rock Spring, GA on August 10, 1932, the son of Henry Woodrow Sweet and Laura Boyd Sweet. He graduated from Lafayette High School in Lafayette, GA in 1950, and went on to serve two years in the US Army in Washington, D.C. during the Korean Conflict. After his discharge, while working full time, he attended the University of Chattanooga in Chattanooga, TN on the GI Bill.

His working life was spent in engineering. He worked for Combustion Engineering and Southern Bell in Chattanooga before accepting a job with Chrysler Corporation Space Division in Huntsville, AL. After transferring to Cocoa Beach, FL, he worked with Chrysler and the Boeing Corporation on the Saturn/Apollo program. As a result of his work, the space program remained a major interest throughout his life.

In Cocoa Beach, Ken met and married the love of his life, Mary Eleanor (Lee) Sweet. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on November 22, 2017. Ken and Mary moved to Tallahassee, FL in 1970, when he began a long career with the Florida Department of Transportation before his retirement in 1997.

Ken loved tennis and golf, FSU and LSU sports, traveling, good food and drink, good books, sports car racing, Scottish terriers, and most of all Mary and his treasured friends and loving family. He was proud of having two holes-in-one during his golfing career. He was an excellent tennis player, and he labored long and patiently to teach Mary to play tennis; now she loves the game as much as he did (although they seldom tested their marriage bonds by playing mixed doubles!). One of his favorite memories was a multi country trip which included a visit to Amsterdam for a Van Gogh retrospective, three days exploring Paris, and then an unforgettable trip to the 24 Hours of LeMans, the world’s premier sports car race. Ken liked meeting new people, hearing their stories, and telling them his. He was full of life, open to new experiences, and happy with his life.

Ken and Mary had a life filled with adventures and fun. They were blessed with wonderful siblings, nieces, nephews, and godchildren they treasured, along with the many friends who formed their extended family.

Ken was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Henry Stephen Sweet. He is survived by his wife, Mary; his sister and brother-in-law Beverly and Pete Bowman; his sister-in-law Elaine Jeffers; Mary’s siblings, Jane (husband Jerry) Hartfield, Sam Lee, and John David (wife Joy) Lee; nieces and nephews; loving friends; godchildren, especially Haley and Alex Johnson; and his devoted dog Bailey.

There are not enough words to thank all those who helped us so much during Ken’s illness. You know who you are, and we owe you a debt of gratitude that cannot be repaid in a lifetime. We also lovingly thank our Hopewell caregivers, especially Rachel Hardcastle and Natalie Williams, and our helpers from Big Bend Hospice. We love you all!

There will be a memorial service celebrating Ken’s life on Saturday, April 14, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. at Killearn United Methodist Church, 2800 Shamrock Street, Tallahassee, FL 32309. A reception will follow at the church. Entombment services will be private at a later time. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Killearn United Methodist Church, to Big Bend Hospice, or to a charity of your choice.