Obituaries : Kenneth John "Ken" Stark

Kenneth John “Ken” Stark, 83, died Monday, November 12, 2018, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids following a brief illness. Funeral services will be held 11:30 a.m. Saturday, November 17, 2018, at Blessed Hope Church in Vinton with Rev. Matt Hantz officiating. Visitation will be held from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. at the church on Saturday. Interment will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Vinton. Ken was born July 20, 1935, in Owatonna, Minnesota, the son of Erwin John and Mildred Marie Maixner Stark. He graduated from Owatonna High School in 1953 and from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, in 1957. During college (1955-56), Ken toured Asia and South America, playing basketball as a representative of his school. He was later inducted into the Vinton-Shellsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. On June 8, 1957, Ken was united in marriage with Elizabeth Ann Galloway at the Methodist church in Upland, Indiana. Ken began working as a teacher and coach in Springport, Michigan, and moved on to jobs in Waterman and Kewanee, Illinois. He and Liz moved to Vinton in 1968, where he taught and coached at Washington High School until his retirement in 1997. Ken was an active member of the Vinton community. He was a charter member of Blessed Hope Church and served on the Vision Committee; he was a member of the Virginia Gay Hospital Foundation and Virginia Gay Advocacy Committee; he served as the Educational Representative for Vinton Unlimited; and, as a Board member for Vinton Parks and Recreation, he founded Party in the Park with Duane Randall. Ken also served as President of the Vinton Education Association and Daybreakers Kiwanis. Ken is survived by his wife of 61 years, Liz, of Vinton; three sons: Michael (Lucille) Stark of Wakefield, RI; Tom (Alissa) Stark of Minneapolis, MN; and Steve (Debi) Stark of Cedar Rapids; one sister, Joan Arnold of Klamath Falls, OR; 9 grandchildren: Joel (Megan), Elizabeth, Avery, Devin, Lamar, Rhiana, Allison and Marissa Stark and Breanna Hawley; and two great-grandchildren, Harper Stark and Brooks Hawley. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother and sister-in-law, Roger and Trudy Stark. A memorial fund has been established. Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home of Vinton is caring for Ken and his family. Condolences may be left at vsrfh.com.