Kenneth Parkin

PARKIN, Kenneth - It is with profound sadness that we announce the sudden loss of our father, husband, Papa, father-in-law and friend, Kenneth "Kenny" George Parkin on May 16, 2024. Kenneth was born April 26, 1951 in the Preeceville Union Hospital, Preeceville, Saskatchewan, the third of four boys born to Rose and Raymond Parkin. Kenneth spent his early days at the farm in Preeceville, moving to Winnipeg in the early 70's where he was first married to Marilyn (née Hayko) and had his first and only child, Aimee Michele, in 1974. In 1987, he realized a dream and relocated to Langley, BC with his family. After the amicable dissolution of his first marriage in 1990, he met Sharon in 1997, whom he lived with and loved to his final breath. Together they called White Rock home for over 25 years. Throughout his life, Kenny proved a talented problem-solver, craftsman and builder. Working in construction for most of his years, Ken had many titles in his life: foreman, project manager, first aid attendant, to president of Parkin Enterprises. He worked in concrete, large construction projects, and custom residential home building. Besides being president and co-owning his own company, some of the companies he worked for in Winnipeg and Vancouver throughout the years included Supercrete, LaFarge, PCL, and EllisDon. He was proud of the many projects he worked on, including the beautiful Vancouver Public Library and the renovation of the library at the University of British Columbia, and even the Newton Kitchen renovation! In his youth, Kenny's leisure time was filled with farm life and outdoor pursuits, including hunting and fishing, and various sports, such as baseball, broom ball and hockey. Later in life, he was an adventurer, and he eagerly travelled when he had the opportunity; touring Europe in 1985, driving all over Western North America, visiting Cuba, Hawaii, Mexico with Sharon, and taking his grandsons to Disneyland, making his way back to the Prairies when he could, and camping whenever he got the opportunity. He played slo-pitch and golf for many years, and he was an undeniable "shark" at pool. In his own words, as "designated daughter", he loved cooking, baking and trying new recipes, and was regularly in front of the BBQ, grilling up a feast for friends and family or baking delectable treats for his loved ones. An avid and devoted sports fan, you would often find him cheering on his Vancouver Canucks and his Toronto Blue Jays, but also Aimee and Rob while they played slo-pitch. But above all, he loved to watch his grandsons, Oliver and Alexander, play sports-especially baseball; he was their biggest fan and watched as many games as he possibly could. In his last years, he enjoyed nothing more than spending time with his beloved grandsons, playing countless hours of crib with Sharon and her best friend, Sonja, playing Chase the Ace at family dinners, telling his endless repertoire of jokes, and keeping up with family and friends on Facebook from the comfort of his "command central", his comfy chair, with a cat on his lap. Kenny's constant wish was for those around him to be having fun and laughing, and he always tried his best to have it so. Beyond a doubt, he held a most devoted love of his family. Our husband, dad, and papa was an intelligent, protective, sensitive and loving man whose absence is felt fiercely. Sadly, his last days were impacted by a house fire that displaced Sharon and Ken and caused them a great deal of stress. In his declining health, Sharon took care of his every need daily and was truly his angel. Kenneth took his last breath at the age of 73 on May 16, 2024, in Langley, BC after a brief stay at Langley Memorial Hospital. His loving family rushed to his side in his final moments and remain shocked at the loss. Our loving Papa is preceded in death by his father, Raymond "Mac" Parkin, his mother, Rose Parkin and his eldest brother, John "Jack" Parkin. He is survived by and deeply missed by his wife Sharon, daughter Aimee and son-in-law Rob, grandsons Oliver and Alexander, his brother Norman and Diane Parkin, his brother Dale Parkin, best friend Tony Parker, many in-laws, as well as many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and -nephews that he enjoyed keeping up with on Facebook. As per his wishes, we will celebrate Ken's life with a gathering of family and friends on a future date, and fondly reminisce about his life and his legacy through stories about him and the jokes he so enjoyed telling. We thank all our dear friends and family, as well as the staff at Langley Memorial Hospital, for their loving support during this most difficult time.