Wednesday, December 5, 2018

A CELEBRATION OF LIFE - KENNETH REED EWBANK

In 2016, we sold our motorhome, HIGHWAY RUNNER, and moved into a home in Hawthorne at Leesburg, FL.  I feel now that we have a second home.  As I wrote earlier in the Blog, I plan to have a small Celebration of Life service for Ken here at Hawthorne.  I decided to wait until our friends and neighbors here, and our RV and Pickleball friends have returned to Florida for the winter season. 

So the Celebration of Ken’s Life will be on Friday, December 14, Ken’s birthday, at the Gazebo in Hawthorne, beginning at 2:00 PM.  Ken loved going to and hosting Happy Hours during the years we were traveling.  In honor of Ken, there will be a Happy Hour following the brief service.



KENNETH REED EWBANK
December 14, 1932 – June 28, 2018

A Celebration of Life

Friday, December 14, 2018 – 2:00 PM
Hawthorne at Leesburg, at the Gazebo

Happy Hour to Follow
Chairs, Drinks, and Eats provided.

RSVP
Telephone or Text: 804-301-8465



I hope many of you will be able to be here and perhaps share some memories.  If you are in the area and plan to attend, please let me know and I will provide you with directions and instructions for getting to the Gazebo.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!!

MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR KEN, OCTOBER 11, 2018

I regret that it has been so long since I have added to our Blog.  A lot has happened.  I took a two-month trip to North Carolina and Richmond, Virginia.  I left Florida on October 3 and returned on Saturday, December 1.

The primary purpose of my trip to Richmond was to have a memorial service for Ken on our anniversary, October 11.  As I wrote earlier, Ken died in Leesburg, FL on June 28, 2018.  Just before his death, we had prearranged cremations for each of us. You know, you hear the advertisements all the time.  Well, although it was expensive, it certainly relieved me of a lot of responsibility in my time of sorrow.

Years and years ago Ken and I had purchased a niche for two at the Greenwood Memorial Gardens in Richmond.  When Ken passed away, his family and I decided to have his ashes interred at the place he had selected himself, rather than at a National Cemetery.  I knew nothing about planning a memorial service, but apparently Ken’s family had some experience and they were a great help in planning the service as well as a very nice reception afterwards at a local restaurant.

The family and I engaged the current pastor at the church that Ken attended when he was a child to officiate.  Pastor Mark Roots did not know Ken, but Ken’s brother still attends that church.  Pastor Roots did a remarkable job with smooth interaction with the other participants.  In fact, he had printed a program of the service which included coral readings by the attendees.  I thought that was a very nice touch and made everyone an active part of the service.

Ken’s oldest son, Mike and his family, arranged to have a hand-out prepared with a wonderful picture of Ken and a recount of his life.  It was most impressive!  Here is the picture.  UUMMMM So handsome.



Thirty-nine years ago, when Ken and I were married, he was the Grounds Manager at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond.  Ken was friends with a young pastor there by the name of Bill Arnold.  He asked Bill if he would perform the wedding ceremony for us in the little chapel at the Seminary.  Bill agreed and the wedding took place on October 11, 1979, thirty-nine years ago.

When thinking about having a memorial, I had the wild idea to try to track Bill Arnold down, and possibly, he might be able to be a part of the service.  I was able to get in touch with Bill through the internet, but unfortunately, he was not able to be there.  However, he did write a special prayer for Ken.  That prayer means a great deal to me and was an important of the service.   I print it here so you might get an insight into the relationship between Ken and this young pastor.



But the most impressive part of the service was the presentation of the American Flag by an Honor Guard in recognition of Ken’s service in the Army.  There were two representatives.  Near the end of the service, one played a haunting rendition of TAPS while standing at the end of a hallway in the mausoleum, silhouetted against an overcast sky.  It was breathtaking.  Then with great precision, they unfolded the flag, refolded it and presented it to me, the Widow.  I felt that Ken’s older son should be the one to have the flag, so I asked that it be given to him instead.  To my surprise, after the service was over, they brought another American Flag and gave it to me!

I regret that I have no pictures of the occasion because it was so impressive, but this is where it took place.  Greenwood Memorial Gardens, Richmond, VA.


The hall in the mausoleum where the trumpeter stood.  There was no green tent and the sky was gray.  A table with Ken's picture, a folded American flag, and Ken's ashes was at the lower section of the picture.  The family was seated just outside the picture, behind the table, looking down the hallway.


 

The nitche where Ken's ashes were inturred.

I want to take this opportunity again to Thank You All so very much for your kind comments on the Blog, and your cards, and telephone calls after learning of Ken's death.  You certainly were of great comfort to me.


Saturday, July 28, 2018

PLANS FOR KEN

I want to thank everyone for your nice Comments on the Blog and your Cards and Expressions of Sympathy.  I was overwhelmed.  Thank you.


October 11 at 11:00 AM in Richmond, VA

I want all of our family and friends to know that Ken's family and I have made plans to have a Memorial Service for Ken on October 11 (our Anniversary) at 11:00 AM.  The service will be at the Greenwood Memorial Park in Richmond, VA.  Richmond is where our roots are.  Ken and I had bought a Niche for two in Greenwood way back in March of 1997.  It was within a few miles of our home then.  And, we were both surprised when we found out that my parents are buried just around the curve from his parents in the same cemetery.

We hope that you will join us, if you are in the area.  We are planning a reception following the ceremony and would be most appreciative if you could let me or Mike know if you will be here.  More details will follow.



December 14 at 2:30 PM at Hawthorne at Leesburg, FL

Well, our roots are in Richmond, but our home is now in Florida.  Many of our friends and neighbors here are "Snowbirds" and have flown north for the summer.  I have decided to wait for them to return later in the year before doing anything.  Therefore, I am planning a Celebration of Ken's Life on December 14 (his birthday) at 2:30 PM at Hawthorne at Leesburg, FL.

Ken always enjoyed the many Happy Hours that we hosted and went to during our RV days  Therefore following the ceremony:

Happy Hour
Hawthorne at Leesburg
Friday, December 14 at 3:30 PM
Bring your own Chair, what you want to Drink, and a Dish to Share! 

I hope you will be able to join us for this occasion.  More details will follow.

Sunday, July 1, 2018

EWBANK, KENNETH R.


Announcement in the  

RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH, Sunday, July 1, 2018




EWBANK, Kenneth R., 85, of Leesburg, Florida, formerly of Richmond, Virginia, passed away on June 28, 2018. He is survived by his wife, Faye, of almost 40 years; five children and three grandchildren.


I am so very glad that my Blog posting a few days ago did reach many of you.  I am so grateful for all the wonderful memories that poured in from our family and friends.  Yes, Ken was quite a guy!!

I think I have decided to take a trip to Richmond in the Fall to have a small memorial service for Ken  at the cemetery where we already have niches waiting for our ashes.  And, on Ken's birthday, December 14th, I'd like to have a memorial service for him at our home here in Hawthorne at Leesburg.  I think that's a good plan so I don't have to plan anything now.  I do hope that some of you will be able to join us.

Saturday, June 30, 2018

POSTING VERY SAD NEWS

I have not written in our Blog for quite awhile.  Some of you may have forgotten all about Ken and Faye with an "e".  It just seemed there was not enough time in the day to update the Highway Runner Blog. 

But today I simply had to find the time to share some very sad news with you.  Ken, my beloved husband of nearly 40 yeas, and a friend to many of you, died yesterday morning (June 28) a little before five o'clock.


Ken had suffered a terrible illness - several terrible illnesses -- since March 5th when he entered the hospital with the flu, pneumonia, a mild heart attack, the main valve in heart was not working, aorta aneurysm, his kidney function was low, potassium high.   Not to mention COPD and asthma which he lived with all the time.  Secondary to all of that, he had two sores on his left big toe that would not heal.  Not diabetes but vascular disease.  By the time of his death, Ken had been in four hospitals and three rehabilitation centers.  He had aspiration pneumonia and CDIFF and both legs had been amputated above the knee.  It seemed that every time he would make progress toward getting well, another setback would occur.  Finally, on Thursday morning Ken's body could take no more.  He is finally at peace now.

Ken was a fun-loving guy and his smile and sense of humor will be missed by all of us.  We had many, many great years together and created lots of wonderful memories with friends and family.  Thank you all for that.