Ken Crawley was born on November 24th, 1946 and raised in Glasgow, Scotland. The son of Leslie and Peggy Crawley, Ken had a brother and two sisters. Ken often spoke about his years spent in boarding school at St. Josephs College in Dumfries, Scotland, and there weren’t many get togethers that didn’t include the line “Did you know I went to boarding school?” followed by numerous funny stories of his attempts to escape.
At the age of 23, Ken met the love of his life and best friend Jeanette. Ken was so sure he had met “the one” that he proposed on their second date! The two were married on July 31st, 1971 and were married for 51 years. Ken proved that when you know, you know! Together they had two children, Karen and Andrew, before moving to Canada and where they had their third child Jen.
Ken began working as a manufacturing engineer over 40 years ago, with the last 30 years being dedicated to providing leadership in the playground manufacturing industry. Ken was a true leader showing compassion and respect to all that worked with him. His designs and innovations will be enjoyed by all for years to come at playgrounds and park spaces across North America.
Ken had many titles, but his favourite was definitely being called Grandpa. Ken ensured his eight Grandchildren Brendan, Ethan, Ryan, Liam, Kyle, Evan, Mackenzie & Claire all got the same amount of time and love during their visits, and was always ready for one of “Grandpa’s little helpers” to assist in any of the projects he had going on. Ken’s Grandkids knew that if they had any questions about the latest and greatest technology, or what tool to use and when – Grandpa was the one to ask.
In May 2014, Ken was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). Over the next 10 years, Ken researched everything there was to know about the disease. Through forums, books, medical sites, and doctor visits, Ken took control of his CLL and was often the one to suggest the latest clinical trials to his medical team. Ken believed the fundraising efforts of organizations such as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada played a pivotal role in finding a cure for the disease.
Ken was a warrior until the end, and on May 20th, 2023 Ken was relieved of his pain and passed away peacefully at the Brantford General Hospital. His fighting spirit continues to live on in all he left behind, and it is that fighting spirit that will drive us forward to raise money for the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Society.
Feeling helpless, but not hopeless, Ken’s family came across the Light the Night fundraiser after Ken’s passing and used their grief to triumphantly raise money in an attempt to prevent further families from experiencing the same devastating loss. Ken would be thrilled to know his story is being shared in an effort to bring attention to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
On September 28th, 2024 our family and friends will once again Light the Night in London, Ontario – we will raise our gold lanterns proudly - and remember our hero. Go Team – KC!
