Kenneth Kramer Obituary

Kenneth Kramer
Aug. 14, 1941 - Nov. 24, 2019
Santa Cruz
Kenneth Paul Kramer was born in Philadelphia on August 14th, 1941 to Roy Paul Kramer, and Rose Meredith (Tracey) Kramer.
Ken had a life-long love of learning and academia, and completed multiple degrees including: A PhD in Religious Studies at Temple University, 1968; A Master of Sacred Theology at Yale, 1963; Graduate studies at Andover Newton Theological School; and a B.A. in English Literature at Temple University, 1959.
In 1974, Ken and his young family picked up and drove across country to move West, not yet knowing where they would end up. After a tip about a small surf community, they explored and fell in love with Santa Cruz, where Ken lived the rest of his life. He was a single, adoring, father of two daughters, Leila and Yvonne. Ken was an incredible parent, role model, and friend, and touched the lives of everyone he met.
Ken found his academic home at San Jose State University for 25 years, and became a full professor in the Religious Studies Department. There, he taught World Religions, Death and Dying, and various other religion and literature courses to undergraduate and graduate students. Ken was beloved by students and colleagues alike, and was awarded the University's Outstanding Professor Award. Many of his students and colleagues stayed in touch throughout the rest of his life.
In 1968, Ken was introduced to Martin Buber's Life of Dialogue, which became the ground that supported the rest of his intellectual and spiritual life. He became a Buber scholar, writing many books interpreting his texts and spiritual practices.
In 2002, Ken retired early due to the affects of his multiple sclerosis. Ken lived with MS for 52 years, and never let it stop him from doing everything he loved in life. In retirement, his love of writing was strengthened even more, and you could always find him sipping coffee at his desk, listening to KZSC radio, pondering his next project. In total, Ken published 10 books, multiple articles, and finally started writing poetry.
Ken impacted everyone around him with his incredible kindness, strength, positivity, humor, spirituality, sparkle, fidelity-to-the-task, and ever-readiness to engage in genuine dialogue. He had the ability to connect with everyone, always stopping what he was doing, turning toward the other, and listening eagerly for the next great conversation.
Ken is survived by his two daughters, Leila Ann Kramer (Aaron Alden) and Yvonne Rose Kramer (Ritch Haselden), and his two grandchildren, Sienna Rose Kramer Alden, and Grayson Paul Kramer Alden, who will miss him the rest of their lives.

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Published by Santa Cruz Sentinel on Dec. 1, 2019.

Memories and Condolences
for Kenneth Kramer

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6 Entries

Jeanette Felix Landis

March 28, 2024

Kenneth's father & my father were cousins, I only met him several times, in my life. Most recently, we shared family memories with him online. His parents, lived, at one time, in the Quakertown, PA area, where I live. I visited with them, at various times. Always very enjoyable. Rose was such a sweet person. Roy joined the menfolk hunting, at our farm and often would stop by for a visit. I had not heard from Ken, for a long time and just today searched the obituaries and found he had passed on 2019. My sympathies to the family.

Kevin Sidensol

February 29, 2024

I´m sorry to hear about Ken´s passing.

This explains why my recent email to him went unanswered. I conversed with him last in 2018. I wrote him a few weeks ago to discuss my father`s passing, and how his teachings in my class with him (Death, Dying, and Religion, `93 or `94) helped me.

I still have his two books from the class, World Scriptures, and Death Dreams.

John Rosenbaum

February 24, 2020

It is with great sadness to learn of Ken Kramer's passing. Ken and I became friends when we were congregants at Alpha Baptist Church in Philadelphia during the 1960s. We were close at the time but communicated less frequently after Ken moved to California in 1974. I want to share the following excerpt from a letter I sent Ken in 2016 that expresses how important he was in my life. I sent it to Ken after reading A Life of Dialogue/Love Letters to My Daughters.

Such memories it brought back. [I sound like Yoda.] Green Lake with Charles, Phil & you. Visiting Eastern Baptist with you and Bob Plimpton. Sunday evening services on Alpha's roof. Watching you play bball at the Palestra. Visiting you at Andover Newton with Charles and Frank. On that visit I rescued a menu from Jack & Marion's - where you took us for lunch in Brookline. Today it hangs on the wall of our kitchen, as it had in our dining rooms in Newtown and Ithaca - a continual reminder of our youthful days." [In 2020 it's on our kitchen wall in Naples, Florida.]

Ken, I want you to know how you influenced my life in important ways. You are one of few people who actually changed my life. It happened when I was agonizing over a backhanded offer to become the editor of Penn State's Ogontz Campus News. You encouraged me to do it; I did, and that soon convinced me to change my major from Math to English, which later led to my career in media production then media education rather than engineering. But much, much more importantly: The Ogontz Campus News office was where I met Toni, and that really changed my life!" [In 2020 Antonia Marie Mullen and I have been married 54 years.]

Before then, during our youthful days at Alpha, I always had looked up to you, Ken, even though I confess that at times I wondered how much of what you wrote and said (especially in your Baptist Youth Fellowship sermons) was merely exquisite word play meant to impress. I honestly could not tell how sincere or deep it was. A Life of Dialogue leaves no doubt in my mind that you are the real thing, and I look up to you now even more. I also confess, Ken, that your earlier books impressed me with their insight, and I learned from them. But they were academic - more from the mind than the heart. Dialogue definitely is from your heart. I had forgotten what Bob Plimpton inscribed in God Unlimited - a quote from St. Bernard's Hymn: When once thou visiteth the heart/Then truth begins to shine,/ The earthy vanities depart,/Then kindles love divine. Your unconditional love for your daughters is clearly shown in your love letters to them; they are blessed to have such a devoted, nurturing father. Thank you for writing about your amazing life so intimately and, at the same time, so profoundly. I am deeply moved by it.

I will forever be grateful to Ken as a friend and a mentor. My condolences to his family.

Nalani Hadfield

December 12, 2019

He may never know the impact he had on my life. He was truly a GIFT to so many! Such a model of a LOVING HUMAN!

Harold Kasimow

December 3, 2019

Dear Aaron, Leila, and Yvonne,

I am so sorry for your loss. I was very saddened to hear about Ken's passing. I am deeply grateful every day for having Ken as a friend since we were students together at Temple University in the late 1960s.

I still remember sitting across from him in a literature and existentialism class with Professor Maurice Friedman. Friedman was both of our major advisors for our dissertations. It became clear to me that he was the most gifted student in that class. Like his mentor Friedman, he became an outstanding Martin Buber scholar.

Our relationship really began in the 1980s at AAR meetings. I can especially remember one meeting when he came to my room and we spent many hours talking late into the night about our lives. As you know, in recent years, we were often on the phone with each other and I considered him one of my dearest friends. I can't think of anyone who lived a more meaningful life. It was always a great joy to speak with Ken, who truly lived the life of dialogue. After each conversation I was always moved by his overwhelming compassion and concern for my well-being. I often told him that one of my favorite books is Love Letters to My Daughters.

Wishing you love and peace in this difficult time,
Harold

Tina Gonzalez

December 2, 2019

To the family of one of my favorite customers .

Ken was the warmest, friendliest and a truly a man of deep
passion and love of his family. He never complained a word of his illness or let that smile ever leave his face or his voice when he became to ill to see us.

I hold you dear in my heart Ken and May you Rest In Peace .

With gratitude and upmost respect,

Tina Nulph Gonzalez

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