Kenneth Charles Mlekush

Since his passing on June 9, 2025, much has been said about Ken’s professional accomplishments (of which he had many), his business acumen, and his kind, charismatic demeanor; yet, it was time with family -- especially his wife of nearly 55 years, Paula, his only son, John, and his granddaughter, Ava -- that meant the most to him.

Kenneth Charles Mlekush was born on November 22, 1938, in Roundup, MT and raised in the small, agricultural and mining town of Big Timber, MT, located on the Yellowstone River. Ken’s parents Andrew Mlekush, Jr. and Edna Mlekush reared three children: Don, Linda and Ken (or “Kenny” as his parents called him) with meager means and traditional values.

As a young man, Ken’s athletic ability, leadership skills, and work ethic served him well later in life. After graduating from the University of Montana in 1960, he taught junior high school and eventually tried his hand at selling insurance in his spare time. He quickly found his professional calling and spent the next 40+ years climbing the ranks: as an entrepreneurial, independent insurance agent in Montana; followed by senior executive roles at life insurance companies in Florida, Ohio, Georgia and North Carolina; and lastly as President of Jefferson-Pilot Life Companies and Vice Chairman of Jefferson Pilot Corporation in Greensboro, NC, before retiring in 2004.

On a pleasant spring evening in 1982 watching the hometown Columbus Clippers, then the AAA minor league baseball team for the lauded New York Yankees, and the team’s much-ballyhooed prospect, Don Mattingly, Ken and John began a tradition that would evolve into nearly four decades of annual father-son baseball trips from Anaheim to Atlanta, Canada to Colorado, and dozens of stops in between. An avid tennis player and staunch fan of anything sports-related, especially Atlanta Braves baseball, Ohio State football and University of North Carolina basketball, Ken enjoyed relaxing at home with his favorite Crown Royal and trail mix while watching his favorite team play.

Never without a plan and an accompanying list, he faced his final days with the same honor and perseverance that he did all the days before. Our collective sadness is softened, in part, by the knowledge that our lives have been forever enriched by his bravery in the face of illness. To many, he was Ken Mlekush the successful executive, industry leader or crafty doubles tennis partner, but to Paula, John and Ava he was simply the man whose “last hurrah” was a beautiful testament to a life well lived.