It is with heavy sorrow that I am writing this about Ken, he was far too young to leave this life. It brings me joy to travel back and relive my thoughts of Ken and I growing up together.
Growing up in Mountain Home Idaho and being such a small community, every generation knew each other. Ken lived around the block from me so as kids we played together frequently. Mostly army (I am sure the genesis for our shared patriotism), bikes, skateboards, anything for our parents just to get us out of the house to have some peace and quiet.
It was our passion for photography that bonded us as young teenagers and pushed us to fledgling journalists through high school. Really started in 4H photography where Ken and I learned everything about photography and darkroom film development from Mr. Larry Gibbons (also high school math teacher). Ken's personality of high energy, shotgun laughter, and his unique sense of quirky humor was fused into every field trip making it an adventure and test of patience for Larry. I guess he really liked the craziness because Larry recruited Ken and I onto the yearbook staff in high school, where our friendship and inseparability as class clowns was cemented for life.
The countless stories of Ken and I navigating all the high school events together with cameras in tow, injected us into every aspect of high school. This was Ken's superpower and natural environment, he made everyone laugh, it was contagious. Please don't misunderstand, Ken and I had our moments, we would have vigorous debates like the many arguments we had in the yearbook office or journalism class about Fuji film versus Kodachrome for true color tones, twin lens reflex vs. SLR, variable zoom lenses, or flash bulb vs. electronic, real knockdown, drag out, fist-o-cuff matches... although he and I thought we were cool, I guess Ken and I were really captains of the NERD club in high school! (LMAO)
Ken was inimitable, one of a kind, full of life, a terrific person with a heart twice his size. As an only child growing up Ken became just another brother in my family. So many times, as adults our life's journey carries us all away from each other. I was so blessed the last time I saw Ken was at our 50th high school reunion, a year ago in June. The moment I walked in Ken was the first person I saw, although time had changed our hair, reduced our bodies and shriveled our faces, the two things that never changed was that gleam in Ken's eyes and his personality. We spent then next 8-9 hours' time traveling back more than 50 years together as kids' storytelling, laughing, crying and reminiscing the passage of our youth and the people we had become, only to discover that we were the very same friends that a half a century could not dull.
I am so sorry I will not see Ken in this life again; I know he is with God because as I close my eyes, I can hear heaven filled with Ken's laughter. Rest in peace my brother, I miss you... Michael Renzi