Ken was born on April 11, 1934, in St Paul, MN and grew up just down the street from Como Golf Course where he discovered one of his lifelong obsessions… golf. He shagged balls and did other jobs for the club with the hope that the course ranger would look the other way when he snuck onto the course to play.
He was educated as a nuclear physicist. The Army recognized his great mind and tasked him with building nuclear reactors for submarines. After the Army he engineered batteries for a few years at Gould, then designed, and managed teams that built supercomputers at NASA for over twenty years, followed by a decade with the Supercomputing Research Center.
He loved good wine and belonged to wine tasting groups for most of his adult life. He even grew his own grapes for a while. He pressed, fermented, bottled, and placed them in the wine racks he built in the basement then over the next month, while sitting in his wingback chair in the room just above, listened to them explode one by one. His son used the remaining few as fire starters.
He snow skied fast, yet perfectly in control, and helped countless people as a member of the National Ski Patrol. His dedication to serving others also led him to became president of Maryland Interclub Senior Golf Association (MISGA). He hit a few holes in one in his lifetime, and in his prime he could hit a ball over the wall of any driving range.
After his long and successful career, Ken embraced life as a retiree. He enjoyed any outing where he could be with other people. He and his wife Ruby liked to spend time with their friends in Columbia, dining out and traveling to ski and golf destinations. MISGA events were excellent places for him to enjoy competing and talk all things golf. The same was true in skiing trips with the Columbia Ski Club or with a small group which allowed him to engage in his love of the sport and be with friends. His three trips on the Lake Powell houseboat created new and different memories. He enjoyed being with his family and found it restorative.
Ken was an example of a life well lived. He was a perpetually kind soul, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather.
We love you and will miss you.
There will be a celebration of life on Tuesday September 27th from 4:00 – 7:00 pm at The Turn House at Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club. 11130 Willow Bottom Drive, Columbia, MD 21044. Phone: (410) 740-2096
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.witzkefuneralhomes.com for the Wallgren family.
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