Ken Hornby's Obituary
Ken Hornby, 89, of Gainesville, Florida passed away at his home on December 21, 2018 surrounded by his family.
Ken was born on January 12, 1929 on a farm just outside Lincoln Nebraska and was the oldest of five siblings. Ken is survived by his wife, June, of nearly 69 years; daughter, Martha Hornby of Gainesville; son, Paul Hornby and daughter-in-law, Diane Hornby of Newberry; brother, Paul Fowler of Albuquerque and many nephews and nieces out west, all whom he loved.
Ken joined the Navy in 1948 and served during the Korean War. Ken was assigned to the USS Rich that cruised the north Atlantic and Mediterranean. It was during his stint in the Navy that Ken met his wife to be in London, England. After a one-year, long-distance relationship Ken and June were married in 1951 in Philadelphia.
Following his military service, Ken attended the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. He graduated in 1956 with a degree in chemical engineering. Ken subsequently worked for Standard Oil of New Jersey and Esso (Exxon) for 25 years, followed by five years in semi-retirement with the World Bank. His work took him to Africa, Latin America and throughout the Caribbean, to include living in Colombia, South America for ten years.
After Ken retired, he and June moved from Miami to Southern Colorado and built a log cabin in the Sangre de Christo Mountains. Ken and June enjoyed spending time in Colorado and England as it afforded them time to be with each other’s families. In 2000, Ken and June transitioned to Gainesville to be close to their children.
Wherever Ken lived he became engaged with the local community. In the last few years Ken was involved with his church, community building association, volunteered at Dudley Farms, and recently served on the Alachua County Board of Supervisors, Soil and Water Conservation District. Ken cared a great deal about the quality of water in North Florida and, in particular, the health our natural spring system.
Ken was an avid golfer and always enjoyed bragging about shooting a score that was lower than his age. He loved the outdoors, enjoyed fishing, was a huge Gator baseball fan and amassed a significant stamp collection over a span of 50 years. Ken had a great sense of humor that included enjoying slapstick movies and bad jokes.
Ken’s passing leaves a very big hole in his family’s life as he was their rock. Additionally, Ken had a wonderful influence on many people through his sage advice, support, mentorship, friendship and love. We are all better for knowing him.
Ken had a huge and generous heart and loved to help people. He always wanted to see people happy and enjoying whatever they did. To that end, in lieu of flowers and if you are so inclined, please make a donation to your favorite charity in Ken’s name.
A private family service will be held.
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