Kenneth Edgar Whitcomb

Kenneth Edgar Whitcomb, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, passed away peacefully at home in South Lake Tahoe on February 9, 2026, after a two-year fight with bladder cancer. His wife, Mary Lou, was lying by his side. He was 89 years old.

Ken was born on June 17, 1936, in SF. He grew up in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, and then moved to Menlo Park where he had a youth full of adventures with his friends and best buddy, his English Springer Spaniel Betty.

He was the son of Clarence Elmer and Irene Isabelle Whitcomb, and the younger brother of Clarence Jr, or Uncle Chuck. Ken is survived by his wife of nearly 66 years, daughters Julie McMillan (Bobby), Erin-Kate Whitcomb (Michele Rutherford), and four grandsons (Sean McMillan, Kenneth McMillan, Parker Whitcomb, and Hayden Whitcomb). In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Chuck, and eldest daughter, Pati.

Ken attended Central School in Menlo Park, followed by Menlo Atherton High School where he enjoyed playing varsity football, much to his mother's dismay. He followed high school by attending Menlo College and College of San Mateo, eventually graduating from San Jose State University in 1960 with a BA in Recreation.

Ken joined the Marine Corps Reserves while in high school, forging his mother's signature to get in, as he was too young to legally join. He felt like he belonged to something very important and enthusiastically embraced the very demanding workouts at Camp Pendleton. This time had a tremendous impact on his life. He continued to dream of training on the beach well into his senior years.

After working in the Parks and Recreation Department in Palo Alto, he turned to education where he got his start as a PE and history teacher at Ralston Middle School in Belmont, CA. From Ralston Middle School he went to teach social studies at Kings Beach Elementary School at Lake Tahoe for two years. Then he became the legendary, beloved, social studies teacher at Crocker Middle School in Hillsborough, CA, for 38 years.

Ken's favorite topics to teach were WWII, the Northern Plains Indians, and the Donner Party. He was an incredibly engaging and animated storyteller, and his classroom is remembered to this day, for it was filled with memorabilia that helped to depict historical reality within the lessons and stories. Ken was also very involved with curriculum teams, including one at Stanford University with fellow Crocker colleagues where they were recognized for an innovative "scripting" exercise used with students to retain important and interesting information about American history. He had served on local boards as well as on the board of the California Teacher's Association. He earned the prestigious honor of Teacher of the Year in 1994 by the California League of Middle Schools, in addition to being honored by the County of San Mateo with a resolution by the Board of Supervisors that same year.

Ken met his wife, Mary Lou Woodman, at San Jose State University, and they got married 2 days after graduating in 1960. His greatest joys were traveling with Mary Lou and spending time with family and friends. He was always up for a good time! His favorite places were always Lake Tahoe and Hawaii. Ken and Mary Lou enjoyed hosting many parties and were always up for a new adventure. He was not a huge fan of flying, so if a car could get them there, the car they took. He was the king of a perfectly packed vehicle and a "God-awful thirty" departure time. As they got older, the back roads were their favorite path, for they loved coming upon the small towns along the way and enjoying the verdant scenery. Meeting new people, hearing their stories, and learning about the history behind the small towns made their trips the most memorable.

Ken and Mary Lou planned many summer educational camping trips with his middle school students, traveling in states such as Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and in the Sierra Nevadas. These trips included following parts of the Donner Party's route.

He was the summer Girl Scout Camp Director at Camp Arrowhead on the Columbia River near Stevenson, WA, from 1971-1974. His animated storytelling around the campfires kept the girls fully engrossed as they laughed or huddled with one another while listening to his scary stories and jumping out of their skin with jolting, scary endings.

Ken was dubbed by friends as "St. Kenneth of the Flea Market" due to his avid collecting and swapping of military memorabilia. He was committed to getting up in the wee hours to get to markets, gun shows, and garage sales as early as possible, oftentimes before the sun came up. He knew every dealer and would make friends with any "old guys" who served in the military, as he was a rapt audience for good stories that he could continue to share. He had great respect for the U.S. military and was very proud of the freedoms that were protected for Americans by those soldiers and families who made incredible sacrifices.

Ken acted in theatrical productions at Hillbarn Theatre in San Mateo, at the Coastside Repertory Theatre in Half Moon Bay, and in several performance venues in South Lake Tahoe, including multiple productions at the Lake Tahoe Community College and the Boathouse at Valhalla. He had a unique style that could elicit laughter from even the most resistant audience!

A celebration of life will be held at Valhalla Boathouse Theatre in South Lake Tahoe on Sunday, May 3 at 2:00. Hawaiian shirts and khaki shorts in his honor would be welcomed.