Ken Hammons

Ken Hammons was a man with a gracious hand, a golden heart, and a lead foot, who lived his life full speed ahead. He had an incredible passion and zest for life, from the cars he raced, to the boats he drove, to the family he loved most of all. Ken was a proud veteran, a hardworking business owner, and a loyal friend to many. More than anything, he was a loving husband, father and grandfather, whose love lives on in them today. Kens story began on a chilly winter day in 1946, in the shoreline city of Muskegon, Michigan. Those were such exciting times in this country, as our heroes returned home victorious from World War II, and a sense of optimism filled the land. On February 14, 1946, Valentines Day, Russell and Beatrice (Berson) Hammons fell in love with their newborn baby boy, a son they named Ken Wayne Hammons. Ken joined his older brother Warren and big sister Pat in the familys home in Fruitport, where his mother was a homemaker and his father worked in the office at Spartan Foods. Ken grew up in the Fruitport area, and attended Fruitport Schools. He and his family were also faithful members of Bethel Baptist Church when he was a child, too. By the time he reached Fruitport High School, Ken had grown into a strong young man, and was a talented athlete, as well. He played football and baseball for the Trojans, and ran on the track team, too, forming a lifelong love of running. Later in life he enjoyed running local 5k and 10k races. After he graduated from high school, Ken ran off and joined the Army in 1966, a brave move with the Viet Nam war going on at the time. He was stationed in Germany, the Philippines and eventually Viet Nam, where he served in the motor pool as a parts specialist. He developed a love for working on engines and cars there, but his time in Viet Nam was understandably difficult, and he lost many good friends there. When he was discharged, Ken returned to Muskegon, where he found work at Dresser Industries. He soon began dating a coworker named Janice Bryant, and they were married in 1971. Four years later, Ken celebrated the birth of his only child, a son he named Kurt. His marriage to Janice ended in 1985, but Ken remained a very active and excellent father. Ken lived close to his son, and they saw each other often, and he enjoyed taking his son roller skating when he was young. When Kurt was older, the father and son began sharing a love for cars and racing, too. Ken had been doing some drag racing at Thunderbird Raceway in Muskegon, and eventually graduated to stock car racing, at the amateur and later pro stock levels. So when Kurt became old enough, Ken gave him a broken-down Chevy Monza as his first car, and the two fixed it up together. Ken shared his love for racing with more than his son, though. Shortly after he was divorced, he met a wonderful woman named Sandy Slade at a local tavern. The two hit it off right away, fell in love, and it wasnt long before the couple was living together. Sandy was very supportive of Kens racing, and even served in his pit crew! She was a great teammate, too, having learned how to work on cars from her dad. When the family wasnt racing, they were boating. Ken loved his boats, and always had a watercraft of some kind. He started with smaller ski boats, and gradually worked his way up to a beautiful, 28-foot Bayliner he kept at Great Lakes Marina. The family loved going boating together, water skiing, bass fishing on Muskegon Lake, or simply floating around, soaking up the sun. Their boat was like their summer cottage for them, and they had many great friends at the marina. Ken and Sandy made it official on June 29, 1996, but their marriage began many years before that, really. They were perfect for each other, and complemented each other perfectly, too. They even became partners in a business venture, the Sun Lovers Tanning & Swim Shop in Fruitport. Ken always had his hand in something, though. Ken worked many other jobs over the years, and in addition to Sun Lovers, he also worked on the Ped Line at the Knoll Group, making office furniture, where he worked since 1998. Ken worked hard to succeed in everything he did, from his business to his racing, but foremost in his life was always his family. He was enormously proud of his son, who grew up, graduated from Grand Valley State University, and started a family of his own. He was just as proud of his daughter-in-law Sherri who got her Masters in Special Education from Michigan State University. Ken adored his grandkids, and loved to take them blueberry picking or boating, and chasing them with the super-soaker squirt gun! The grandkids also fondly remember visiting their granddad at his business, too. Ken developed some heart problems in the early 1990s, and he required quadruple-bypass surgery. He recovered well, and life went on as normal for many years afterward. Then in 2004, Ken needed to have a heart defibrillator implanted, to keep it working correctly. He took some time off work to get his medications right, and began watching his diet closely and doing his exercises. Things were improving for him. Then sadly, on Sunday, December 16, 2007, Ken went out after the first snowstorm of the year to snowblow the driveway, when he collapsed and died. He was 61. Ken was a wonderful man, who lived a wonderful life, a life so full of family, fun and fond memories. He was a man with a gracious hand, a golden heart, and a lead foot, who lived every day of his life full speed ahead. He was a proud veteran, a race car driver, and a loyal friend. Most of all, he was a loving husband, father and grandfather, whose love lives on in his family today. He will be greatly missed. Ken is survived by his wife, Sandy; 1 son, Kurt (Sherri) Hammons of Grand Rapids; 2 grandchildren, Kaitlynn & Aidan Hammons; brother, Warren (Mary) Hammons of TX; sister, Pat (Mark) Johnson of TX; former wife, Janice Bryant of Muskegon & several nieces & nephews. Memorial services are scheduled for Wednesday, December 19, 2007, 11:00 AM at the Clock Chapel - Fruitport with Elder Richard Sieting officiating. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to share a memory or photo of Ken, or to sign the guestbook.