Obituary: Ken Hunnicutt

May 21, 1943 - March 17, 2018

Ken Hunnicutt

Ken Hunnicutt passed away on March 17, 2018, while lovingly surrounded by his wife, children, and grandchildren. He will be deeply missed for his captivating stories, big laugh, and generous heart. Ken was curious, adventurous, and eager to support the dreams of others. Despite struggling with emphysema for years, he never missed an opportunity to spend time with his family and loved keeping up with the travels and pursuits of his children and grandchildren. He was the first to help anyone who needed it and was always ready to welcome friends and strangers into his home. Throughout his life, Ken was a mentor to many young men who worked for him, and will be particularly missed by his grandsons, sons-in-law, and grandson-in-law.

Ken’s life was built around the water. He was born on May 21, 1943, and grew up in Moses Lake, WA, with his parents, Elsie and Merle, and his sister, Linda, where he became an avid water-skier. As a young man, he served four years in the U.S. Navy. In 1964, he married his beautiful wife, Jerri. Together, they spent over 35 years commercial fishing on Prince William Sound, near Cordova, AK. In the early years, Ken ran his seine boat with the help of only his wife and two school-aged daughters, Tami and Niki. In the later years, he was joined by his grandchildren, Jessica and Brandon, whom he taught to spot whales and look for ‘jumpers.’

In retirement, Ken moved to Leavenworth, WA, full-time, where he spent several years growing hay and learning to be a farmer. He loved watching his grandsons, Carson and Nate, play football and baseball. When he wasn’t working, Ken enjoyed snowmobiling, skiing, building massive homemade sleds, racing his jet boat up and down the Columbia River, and riding horses with friends.

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