Apr 16, 1961 - Apr 21, 2018
Only larger than his 6-foot 6-inch height, was the size of Ken's heart and his generosity to others.
Ken was born April 16, 1961 in Springhill, Nova Scotia before moving to Edmonton as a teenager in 1973 where he quickly became a die-hard Edmonton Oilers fan. Ken could be easily spotted wearing Oilers hats, jerseys, shirts or by the Oiler decals on his cars and trucks. A special moment in his life was attending the Oilers game when Wayne Gretzky scored 5 goals against the Philadelphia Flyers to reach 50 goals in 39 games to shatter Maurice Richard's 50 in 50 record.
Ken arrived in Nanaimo in 1987 as one of original Coastland employees and spent the next 31 years in various roles with the company. Nanaimo quickly became Ken's home where he met the love of his life Ning (Helen) in 1990. It was "sparks at first sight", married in 1991 and were never far apart from each other. Ken and Helen successfully raised 2 wonderful children, Chynna and Quinlan and was deeply embedded in the Nanaimo community.
Ken's love of hockey led him to "pay it forward" acting as a hockey coach for many years in the Nanaimo Minor Hockey Association. Ken was also active in the sports community playing in the local men's beer hockey and baseball leagues and starting a hockey stick repair business. When not found in the hockey rink, Ken could be found fishing or on the beach.
Nothing gave Ken more pleasure than giving of himself to help others in need; from simple acts of kindness to making a profound impact on the lives of others. The world is a better place because of those he helped.
Ken's favorite place in the world was Hawaii and in particular, Hanalei Bay on the Hawaiian Island of Kaua'i. Many lasting family memories were created; on the beach, deep sea fishing, visiting the Pearl Harbor Memorial or riding in a bi-plane over the Napali Coast.
A consummate story teller with a tremendous sense of humor, Ken kept young and old alike in fits of laughter.
Carrying on Ken's legacy is his wife Helen, daughter Chynna, son Quinlan, parents Ivan Sr. and Phyllis, parents-in-law Zhe and Zhenping, brothers (and sisters-in-laws) Kevin (Tracy), Ivan Jr. (Marna), brother-in-law Thomas (Alice), sister-in-law Rose (Mike) and nieces and nephews Vincent (Brianne), Haley, Connor, Andrew, Carter, Quinton, Jason, Michelle, Nathan, William and a loving extended family.
The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to the Cyclone men's hockey team, the cul-de-sac family and all those friends who helped in this difficult time. Also, a special thank you to Ken's great medical team; Dr. Janssen, the doctors and nurses at Nanaimo Cancer Treatment Center and all of the NRGH doctors, nurses and care givers.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Ken's honor to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation.
All are welcome for "An Afternoon to Remember" of Ken's life on Saturday, May 12 at 12 pm at the Beban Park Social Centre in Nanaimo, BC. Please wear your favorite hockey or other sports jersey for this special afternoon. 
Sands Funeral Home Nanaimo