was born and raised in Glasgow Kentucky. He was one of ten children, and began working from an early age selling candies to factory workers and later earned his own paper route with the Glasgow Daily Times, which he kept until joining the US Navy following graduation from Glasgow High School in 1959.
Ken was assigned to be a photographer and journalist in the US Navy, and stationed at NAS Miramar in San Diego, California, where he was privileged to interview and photograph some of the first American Astronauts. Following his honorable discharge from the US Navy, Ken worked as newspaper reporter for The Sentinel newspaper where he started out covering local politics, human interest stories and writing obituaries. Ken soon moved on to start his own marketing firm where he proudly ran political campaigns for some of the first African-American men and women in San Diego politics. Not long after joining an advertising agency in La Jolla California, Ken met his artist wife Mona Mills at an adult art class in La Mesa which she was leading – marrying four days later in Las Vegas the two soon started a family, and decided to move to Jamul California in 1974, where Ken first became a Real Estate Agent with Brotherton Realty. The pair purchased and subdivided land on Honey Springs Road in order to finance the building of their home – where Mona still lives. Ken later moved onto work at Century 21 Real Estate in Jamul and then after obtaining his Real Estate Broker’s License in 1982, opened his own office across the street, Country Properties. Ken specialized in vacant land of the backcountry, where he hand drafted the first map of Jamul, drafted septic layouts, located prime well drilling locations and personally “tromped the corners” of all parcels with all buyers so that they knew exactly what they were buying and no one could ever take advantage of them. Ken sold much of the land in Jamul, several times over, over the years – and was dubbed “Mr. Jamul” in the early 80’s and he really embodied his love for Jamul and its residents over the years – often taking unpopular stances in order to protect the open spaces and the resident’s right to “quiet enjoyment” of their land.
Ken loved his horses, and he loved to ride; riding with his children and neighbors around Jamul for many years. Ken also loved to sing. Son of a preacher, Ken was always singing, and he was a member of the Lamb’s Players musical theatre group during the 1960’s. Ken sang karaoke with gusto at many east county bars and restaurants over the years – having his own regular gig at the Charcoal house in La Mesa, among others. His favorite songs were always, the energetic country songs, such as Boot Scooting Boogie and Prop Me Up By the Jukebox when I Die.
Ken was a driven, independent, courageous and generous man, and he did not qualm at offending people when he felt strongly about something- which was fairly often. He was brilliant in so many ways, being able to fix and build almost anything, and able to solve complex real estate problems for his clients and friends. Like many of us however, he was human, and was unable to solve some of his own problems in the end. Ken lived and died in the place he loved the most, Lyons Creek, Jamul, California.
He has taught many of us valuable lessons about living life with passion and purpose, and getting out there and “kicking ass and taking names.” Which we should all continue to do in his honor.
Ken is survived by his daughters Mona Rupe (Tulsa, OK) and Kendra Atkinson (Glasgow, KY), and his two granddaughters Fiona and Juliet. He is survived by his ex-wife and friend, Mona Mills, and step-daughter Anna Mills (Jamul, CA) and three of his nine siblings, Eula, Doris Ann and Becky, and numerous nieces, nephews, and their children, in and around Glasgow, KY.
Memorial services will be held in Glasgow, KY this summer.
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