We encourage you to share your most beloved memories of Kenny here, so that the family and other loved ones can always see it. Share your favorite stories or comment on those shared by others.
A great man and a compassionate man who lived his life serving others. He will be greatly missed. Thank you for all you did for the city of Bangor Ken. Mike Hanners
mike hanners
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
Was there a better person in this world? I really don't think so. We are all forever changed, first by his amazing existence, now by his untimely passing. What a tremendous loss to our community and to the world. Rest in Peace Ken. We can all take comfort in knowing exactly where you are, seated at the hand of the Lord.
ELIZABETH URQUHART
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
Our Sincere Thoughts and Prayers go out to Pat, Nathan, Kent, Erma, & Extended family. Ken was a wonderful man and gave so much of himself to help Bangor develop. RIP Ken such a great loss to our community ♥
Carma & John
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
One of the best men I have ever had the privilege of meeting. He will forever leave an imprint on my heart. He was so sweet and kind, and what I would imagine a great Grandfather would have been like. He will be deeply missed by all.
Alexandra Kling
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
We are saddened to hear of Ken's passing and our prayers go out to your entire family. Ken will be missed and I know he has a special place in heaven.
Jon P Dorow
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
I had the pleasure of knowing Ken for almost 30yrs. He was a fantastic guy, he always made me feel like I was the best employee that he had. Never missed an opportunity to tell us how much he appreciated us and all the hard work we do. His presence alone would make you want to do better things and be a better person. He effected my life in ways I could never express in words. I will never forget you Ken ♡
Lisa Brown
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
Our community lost a giant of a man. His impact on Bangor & Van Buren County will be felt for a long time. Ken will be missed and I am blessed to have known him.
Aric Nesbitt
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
I meet Ken at stagecoach 8 years ago he came in to the home and all of the resident were so excited to see him. The guys always loved in when Ken stopped by the home to see them. He always made resident and staff feel like family. He will be missed by staff and resident he was a great man.
Heather Juan
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
Pat & Family, we are sending our sincere sympathy to you all. We will miss Ken as we considered him a great friend.
Judy & Andy Davis
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
I have had the pleasure of knowing Ken and his family for 19 years when I started working for Beacon. Ken is one of the most amazing people in the world. He had the biggest heart, and cared about people and helping them any way that he could, no matter the cost. There are not words that can express how big his heart truly was. We will miss his stories and inspiring personality. He will be missed by so many people.
Penny Gillette
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
Words couldn’t describe the impact you have made on peoples lives. I am one of those people and have been blessed to have worked along side you. You will be missed but I will always keep a part of you. My thoughts and prayers are with your family.
Dan Rippinger
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
Ken was such a caring, generous and loving man. We are grateful to have been his neighbor and friend. He will be deeply missed. We send our love to the Ratzlaff family.
Vicky Kerr and Phil Thompson
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
What can you say about Ken that people who knew him dont already know? I met Ken about 13 years ago when I first started working with Beacon. From that moment I knew he was a genuine good soul. I Remember watching him at a christmas party serving cake to his employees and I thought to myself, This guy has it all figured out, he cares for everyone and everything around him. He will be missed, loved and admired by anyone who ever crossed paths with him.
Chris Rousch
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
I consider Ken a close friend, mentor and brother. His kind heart, smile and joking manner was contagious. I never knew a person to love and respect his fellow man more than Ken. He will be missed dearly by all of us and especially the hundreds of people he and saved and supported when no one else would. Forever in our hearts
Darren Hodgdon, CEO Beacon
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
What a great man - thanks for all you did for Bangor, those in need, and for those who just needed a kind word of encouragement. He will be forever in the hearts of those whose lives he touched - making all of us better human beings. Rest in Peace.
Chris Rigozzi
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
Sending our deepest condolences and love to Kent, Jenna, and all the Ratzlaff family for your loss. May you feel God's peace, love, and comfort.
Ray and Alice (Frame) Sexton
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
RIP such a sweet and caring person. It has been a pleasure to meet you and to work for you Ken and Pat. Prayers for your family as well. 🙏🕊
Ginger Muniz
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
My first job was working for Ken at the Railroad Cafe. The experience helped me become the person I am today. So glad I knew Ken and the rest of his family. You leave a mark, Ken.
Madeline McDonald
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
I have never met a greater man than Ken. True man of God that loved all people beyond measure. Ken was my mentor and leader for 15 years in working with him but just like family.I’m so blessed to have known him. If only the world had more people like Ken. May your legacy live on through all that knew you. Missed dearly but never forgotten. ❤️
Nicole Bradley
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
Ken will forever live in our hearts. he was such an amazing man. He gave unselfishly of himself to the community of Bangor and many people who were fortunate enough to have crossed his path. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Pat and his boys. Dan and Lynne Farmer
Lynne Farmer
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
I did not know him well, yet met him several times when I was at Beacon. Always smiling, and showed love to the clients, and workers at all times. He will be remembered always.
Norma Solis
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
There aren’t enough words to describe Ken. He was my friend, mentor, father figure, but mostly the man that kept me going in the right direction. He held me accountable and because of that made me the person I am today! I will miss his jokes, his kind words, and his awesome Leadership. He accepted people for who they were and didn’t care about anything other than making them feel loved! I had the privilege of knowing him for 22 years and wouldn’t change one thing; even those times that he blared me out. I know one thing for sure, the times he did, I learned from it and never repeated it again. One of those teaching moments was forgetting to do a fire drill, and it was found during one of the many inspections by our regulators. Needless to say, I never forgot another one! I will forever hold him in my heart! Prayers to the family, who was as kind and loving as he was. God bless each of you and know that you are all loved by many!
Melissa Williams
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
It has been my pleasure to get to know Ken over the last five years. He was kind, funny, generous and a champion for people who had never had champions before they met Ken. He will be missed. Prayers to the family
Bob Crants
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
Ken was such a great person to know and have worked for. He blessed my family when my Mother had emergency heart surgery. He had so much compassion upon me. He literally pulled me off my shift and sent me home with a paid plane ticket to FL to be with my family. His kindness will never be forgotten. RIP. Prayers for Pat, his children and families.
Laura Stout
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
I met Ken 19 years ago. The one thing that has and will stay with me is when he encouraged us all to dream the impossible dream. His big heart and caring for the clients he served was an example that I have tried to emulate. The goal is to leave a better world behind you and I know that is what Ken accomplished!!!!!!!!!!!
Israel Baker
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
Dearest Pat and family…I am so sorry for your loss. Ken was such a wonderful man. I was blessed to have known you.
Julaine Lorenz
July 13th, 2021 at 12:00am
My condolences to Ken's family. May God give you all the strength to endure during this your loss of a Great Man. Ken was a very giving and caring man. I am one of many who are honored to have known Ken and to have been touched by his positive, understanding and loving spirit for all. Rest in peace Mr. Ratzlaff. Thoughts and Prayers to Ken's family. God Bless, Tammy Gillis
Tammy Gillis
July 14th, 2021 at 12:00am
My condolences Pat an boys. I remember the first day we meet Ken an Pat they walked into the home in Gladstone Marci an I were working on the place tryna to open it up. Ken walks in an say hello my name is Ken do you want to sell this place. Lol um I don't know ???? Well I want to buy it. By the time he left we had a new friend an boss. We knew all about Ken an Pat they seemed to be great people an time proved that over an over. To me Ken had a passion for people. He treated people as he wanted to be treated Ken you will be greatly misses.
Joel Villeneuve
July 14th, 2021 at 12:00am
Keeping Pat and Family in my thoughts and prayers
Maggie Brooks
July 14th, 2021 at 12:00am
We will surely miss Ken and his vision and commitment to people we serve.
Jeff Patton, Executive Director, Integrated Services Kalamazoo
July 14th, 2021 at 12:00am
Please accept my sincere condolences. You all are in my prayers.
Eric Doeh, Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network
July 14th, 2021 at 12:00am
Ken was one of the good guys and this is a huge loss. He leaves a great legacy.
Tim Becker, COO, Hope Network
July 14th, 2021 at 12:00am
Knowing Ken is a privilege. His principled approach to life includes many lessons. Be as smart as you can be, yet be humbled by what you don’t know. Be interested in every encounter you experience by asking questions and listening to the answers. See the value and goodness in everyone you meet even when some people don’t reciprocate kindness. Understand that mistakes are chances for learning. Express compassion and love for the families of your friends and colleagues. There are so many other life lessons Ken has left among us. He has and will continue to bless my life like he did these past decades. I’ll be doing “Kenny’s” in the honor and spirit of a great man! My deepest condolences to you Pat and your family!
Gregory Bator
July 14th, 2021 at 12:00am
We send our deepest condolences to Kent, Jenna, and the Ratzlaff family for your loss. Rest in peace.
Leo & Nancy Hesting
July 14th, 2021 at 12:00am
I met Ken 4 years ago when I started at Beacon, he was such a caring wonderful man. As a new employee he made the effort to come meet me and ask me what my thoughts were and then when I had my.own perwonal loss he reached.and told me he cared. That meant alot to me as I knew he had a huge heart! I hope his wishes ,dreams and visions continue to grow. The world has lost one of the best but know he will be looking down and watching out for all of humanity
Vikki
July 14th, 2021 at 12:00am
Ken will be remembered as a caring person who was always interested in everyone's well being. I spent years working with Ken on the Provider Alliance of the CMHAM advocating for better services in the mental health system in our communities. He is missed.
Kathy Swantek, Executive Director BWDH
July 15th, 2021 at 12:00am
I met Ken 16 years ago when I started a job in his office at the Depot. It was immediately clear how much he loved what he did (and all things trains!) He treated all of the consumers with such dignity and was always laughing with them and it was truly a fantastic sight. That love was clear and it went both ways. He taught me a lot over the years and I’ll never forget him. **Dream the Impossible Dream** My heart goes out to Miss Pat, Nathan, Kent, and the kids.
Kristy Brooks
July 15th, 2021 at 12:00am
I had the honor and privilege of knowing Ken for more than twenty years. I will forever miss his humor, his strength and most of all his unwavering passion for helping others. Ken had the uncanny ability to know when someone needed words of encouragement, words of guidance or if he could simply provide a passionate, nonjudgmental ear. Ken was a man of honor and dignity who walked through this physical life on a mission from which he never deviated from. A mission of being a man who always loved, cared for and placed others far ahead of himself. Ken proudly lived his life serving his Lord and loving his family in such a way it should be inspirational to all. Ken you will be terribly missed, but you will never be forgotten. Jimi
Jimi
July 15th, 2021 at 12:00am
Ken was a consummate gentlemen who will be missed by stakeholders from all facets within our public mental health system. I will miss our spirited conversations and hearing about his big picture ideas about how to move our system forward. From the Al Jallad and Turning Leaf family our sincerest condolences to Pat, Nathan, and the rest of the Ratzlaff and Beacon families.
Sami Al Jallad, CEO - Turning Leaf Behavioral Health
July 15th, 2021 at 12:00am
Thank you for your positive out look.
Yvonne Beasley
July 15th, 2021 at 12:00am
In the 15+ years I had the privilege and honor of knowing Ken as a colleague and a friend, he consistently showed himself to naturally have some of the very best principles and character I have ever known in a person. Ken was exceptional in so many ways. Just by being himself and being around Ken, he inspired others to not just want to be and do better, but to know they could take the steps to do so. Ken not only helped change the lives of others; he saved lives. Many lives, through his work and influence onto others and the world around him. While we will all miss seeing Ken, his presence and influence will always continue to be seen in our lives and the lives of so many others. Thank you for everything, Ken!
Matthew Owens
July 15th, 2021 at 12:00am
I first met Ken 17 years ago when I started working at Beacon. From day 1 he made you feel like you were family and treated you like it as well. He adored his own family and loved to talk about them. He was extremely proud of all of them. His eyes would always shine when talking about things he was excited about. I remember him listening to his favorite music as loud as he wanted at the Depot and he was always singing along. Some days you could see him running to catch the train just to say hi to the conductor! Ken and Pat decorated the Cafe every year at Christmas and the Christmas Train Village was ALWAYS done by him. ( I think he looked forward to doing that part. ) He will be greatly missed and always remembered by everyone who loved him ! Much Love to Miss Pat and the whole family !
JoDee Johnson
July 16th, 2021 at 12:00am
To know Ken and family, is a blessing to me. My fondest memories was making the station stop at Bangor, and see Ken smile. The world has lost an Angel The Amtrak crews I know will miss him greatly. With deepest sympathy, Conductor Chris
Conductor Chris Avila
July 16th, 2021 at 12:00am
I had the good fortune to work with Ken over the last 8 years. Ken was a very caring and dedicated person. While our paths crossed briefly related to adult foster care homes, I appreciated Ken's insights, honesty, and willingness to be a partner with us. Ken's smile and positive outlook will be missed. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the Beacon family. Thoughts and prayers, Larry Horvath
Larry Horvath
July 19th, 2021 at 12:00am
Ken was a faithful friend for many years. He & Pat were there for us through difficult times. He was a man of great faith & humility. He will be greatly missed!
Judy Kobza Harper
July 31st, 2021 at 12:00am