Kenneth Roland Pagel

1945 - 2025

Walworth, WI - Kenneth Roland Pagel, 80, of Walworth, Wisconsin, passed away at home on October 11, 2025, probably shaking his head at the Brewers latest playoff game, but smiling just the same.

Ken was born at home in Pell Lake, WI, on February 21, 1945 - He was the son of Roland F. and Dorothy M. (Chase) Pagel.

He attended Star Center Grade School, Badger High School, and later Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville, where he apprenticed as a carpenter. That skill turned into a 50-year career swinging hammers and solving problems across Walworth County and throughout Wisconsin. In the 1980's, he was the building inspector for the Village of Walworth. He also worked on everything from The Abbey and Abbey Springs to Lake Lawn, The Playboy Club, Americana, and The Grand Geneva. If you've ever set foot in a local landmark and thought, "This place feels solid," odds are good Ken had something to do with it. He retired in 2000 - though "retired" might be a stretch, since he never stopped fixing or building something.

Ken joined Immanuel United Church of Christ in Walworth in 1971 and was always an active member. He served as superintendent of works during the church addition in the 1980s. He spent countless terms as trustee and chairman and somehow got himself in charge of potatoes and cranberries for the annual turkey dinner. He also flagged for marathons, whipped cream for cream puffs, and handled more maintenance jobs than he would ever admit.

He was a loyal Packers and Brewers fan (sometimes long-suffering), and he always looked forward to game day. A stock car driver at heart (and in the 60's at Lake Geneva raceway), he loved his 1996 Chevy Impala SS and attending NAISSO HERD events and car shows with his friends.

Ken's humor was dry, his generosity steady, and his loyalty to family and friends, absolute. If you needed help, Ken was there - with tools in hand and maybe a wisecrack or two on the way.

He married Joyce L. Johnson on May 3, 1969, in Hebron, Illinois, and they spent their entire married life in Walworth. Together, they raised two sons: Timothy L. (Kristina) of Punta Gorda, FL and Theodore K. (Tiffany) of Seattle, WA.

Ken is survived by his sisters Mare Pagel (Annie) of Tucson, AZ, and Barbara Chase of Fort Collins, CO; brothers-in-law Kent (Martha) Johnson of Walworth and Bill Johnson of Molalla, OR; sisters-in-law Janet (Chuck) of Sharon and Phyllis (Tye) Dodds of Klamath Falls, OR; plus a whole crew of nieces, nephews, and great- and great-great-nieces and nephews who adored him.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Norman and Donald.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at Toynton Funeral Home, 328 Kenosha Street, Walworth, WI from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM and again at Immanuel United Church of Christ, 111 Fremont, Walworth, WI prior to the Funeral Service on Friday, October 31, 2025, from 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM.

The Funeral Service will be held at Immanuel United Church of Christ in Walworth, WI on October 31, 2025, at 11:00 AM with burial in Cobblestone Cemetery - where Ken wanted to rest, fittingly, right in the same village he spent his life building and caring for. (There are still a few lots left, if you were wondering - Ken would have liked that detail included.)

In Lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to The Time is Now in Lake Geneva or Immanuel United Church of Christ, Walworth.

Arrangements made by Toynton Funeral Home, Walworth, WI, (262) 275-2171.