Kenneth Jensen

Longtime Alaska resident and attorney Ken Jensen, 72, died Jan. 11, 2008, at Providence Alaska Medical Center. He was surrounded by a circle of his loving family and friends, hand in hand.
A service will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Evergreen Memorial Chapel, 737 E St. A celebration of his life will be announced later this spring in Cooper Landing.
Born Oct. 6, 1935, in Evanston, Ill., Ken was aware at just 3 years old that he wanted to practice law.
He came to Alaska in 1948 and was an alumnus of the last graduating class of Anchorage High School in 1953. He then attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where in 1955 he met Nancy, the love of his life. They celebrated their 51st anniversary this past July.
Ken graduated from UAF in 1957. He completed his law degree at Catholic University of America in 1962 while also working as an assistant to Alaska U.S. Sen. E.L. "Bob" Bartlett.
He began his law practice in Anchorage in 1963 and later formed the private law firm Jensen, Harris and Roth. Ken and his partners built Resolution Plaza, a corporate building located at the bluff of Third Avenue and L Street, in 1986.
Ken represented hundreds of Alaskans throughout his 45-year legal career, with an emphasis on personal injury, litigation and construction law. Over the years his clients included the City of Cordova, the town of Crown Point, the Bristol Bay Salmon Fisheries and countless construction and electrical contractors. He also served as a past vice chair of the Alaska Police Standards Council and past chair of the Alaska State Local Boundary Commission. He was the current treasurer of the board for Cooper Landing Emergency Services and Volunteer Fire Department.
Ken's personal passions included boating on Kenai Lake, gardening and woodworking, reading and watching the sun set with Nancy from their deck overlooking the Kenai River. He was a lifelong optimist who believed that anything was possible, even perhaps his dream that the Chicago Cubs might someday win the World Series.
His family remembers him for his unconditional love, fairness, advice and comfort, his sharp wit and candor, and his sense of humor. He was a great storyteller, especially about his experiences and his knowledge of Alaska history and law.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy; son and daughter-in-law, David and Carol Jensen; son and daughter-in-law, Paul and Laurie Jensen; daughter and son-in-law, Laura and Phil Castleman; nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren (and two more on the way).
The family requests that any donations, in lieu of flowers, be sent to Cooper Landing Emergency Services Inc. at P.O. Box 510, Cooper Landing 99572.