Kenneth Lee Tuddenham
August 10, 1950 - November 6, 2017
Kenneth Lee Tuddenham was born Aug. 10, 1950, in Logan, Utah, to Ruby Godfrey Tuddenham and J. Rolfe Tuddenham, the last of five children. He died Monday, Nov. 6, 2017, at his home in Salt Lake City.
At the age of six his family moved from Logan to Nibley where his father farmed and started a dairy. He attended schools in Cache Valley and graduated from Sky View High School in 1968. He then attended Utah State University and graduated with a degree in library science. Soon after graduation he moved to Salt Lake and started his career at the University of Utah as a research librarian and worked there until his retirement.
Ken struggled with many health challenges throughout most of his life and was always looking for ways to improve his health. He freely shared his knowledge and experience with others. Even during his most challenging times, Ken maintained a cheerful attitude and was always willing to do whatever he could to help others. He offered wonderful support to his family and took such good care of his mom and dad in their later years. He had a very special relationship with his sweet sister, Arlene. She was a ray of sunshine in his life. They talked daily on the phone for over 17 years. He was also like a son to his Aunt Corrine and Uncle Andrew Heggie and to Uncle Evan and Aunt Kaye Godfrey. His many cousins, nieces and nephews will really miss Uncle Ken.
Ken was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had a strong testimony of the gospel. His warm personality and quick wit will be missed so much by all who knew him. A special thanks to Dr. L Scott Jewkes, Tammy Harris and his other healthcare providers and friends.
He is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Phyllis. He is survived by his sister, Arlene (John) Croft of Granite Bay, CA; brother Lyle (JoAnn) Tuddenham and Jay (Peggy) Tuddenham of Nibley.
Graveside services are under the direction of Allen-Hall Mortuary and will be held at noon Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Logan City Cemetery with Bishop Thayne Michelson of the Nibley 3rd Ward presiding. At Ken's request, there will not be a viewing or formal funeral services. Memories and condolences may be expressed online at www.allenmortuaries.net.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Logan Herald Journal from Nov. 9 to Nov. 10, 2017.

Memories and Condolences
for Kenneth Tuddenham

4 Entries

Lisa

August 26, 2023

Ken,
It has been too long. I miss you every day. I so appreciate our long friendship and the trips to San Francisco we would take.
I wish you had told me more of your health the last time we were together, but I am so happy I was able to see you just those few weeks before you left. I wish we had another SF trip.
My brother has moved to Logan and I was able to spend some time with his family this week. I thought of you the entire time.
You always were my best friend. I miss you.

Shelley Leavitt

May 1, 2019

Dear Family of Kenneth:
I am the widow of Steven Norvell Leavitt. Steven and Kenneth were best friends! I just now found out about Kenneth's passing. I am so sorry to learn that.
Kenneth was a special person and a dear friend to my Steven.
Kenneth even arranged our Wedding Breakfast 40 years ago, when Steven and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple.
We only saw Kenneth a few times after Steven and I were married, but he always had a special place in our hearts!
Fondly,
Shelley C. Leavitt

Maryjo

November 11, 2017

Ken, It was my pleasure to have known you my years at the Marriott. Your warm, friendly smile carried through you to your enjoyment of your job and willingness to go out of your way to help. I enjoyed our conversations on paydays, you brought your smile in many times and when you left I always had a warm spot in my heart, and that contagious smile on
my face.
May your family find comfort at this time in the many happy memories I'm sure you all share. Ken's physical body may have left us, but the memories left behind will be priceless and timeless. RIP Sir

Dean Brooks

November 11, 2017

Dear Arlene, Jay, Lyle

I want to tell you about my last visit with Ken.

I met Ken when I was a student at the U in about 1973. My brother Rem and I attended that year and we often stopped in to chat with Ken at the information desk, either alone or together. Years passed. My brother and I continued to attend school on and off thru about 1980, and then we each moved away from SLC, but I continued to exchange Christmas cards with Ken thru the years. I saw him in person maybe only three times after that.

Once he said to me "When you visit SLC you must call and we can have lunch." That finally happened this year in July. He had not changed. He was very gregarious and generous in conversation, listening more than talking. We ate at Cafe Rio on 33rd South. At one point in the conversation he made some off-hand complaint about his health, but when I asked him specifically about his symptoms or pain or diagnosis he waved it off and did not elaborate. So all those years I never really knew anything about his health even though I was well aware that he suffered from something that limited his daily activity.

After lunch we went, by appointment, to visit Marv Tuddenham who had been my scout master in the 1960s. As fate would have it, Marv died just a few days later. Here again, Marv made an off-hand comment about his health which Ken noted, but it escaped my attention. I think he mentioned that his wife was going to drive him to a doctor appointment. I knew Marv had a life-long struggle with diabetes, but somehow lived into his 90s without complaint and apparently with few limitations. Marv was very lucid and spoke freely with a large vocabulary and complicated sentence structure. His house was clean and orderly. He did have a bit of trouble recognizing me at first (he hadn't seen me in 5 decades and I do look different). But he did not present that day as a sick old man. And I was not sympathetic enough to notice.

Ken and Marv chatted about genealogy and Marv gave Ken a biography he had compiled about one of their common relatives -- her name was Katherine or Kate. Marv read a passage from it -- a poem that Kate had written. It was a skillful poem with half-rhymes which reminded me of Emily Dickinson. The point is, the day was a wonderful reflection on the sweep of life and our bonds with friends and relatives, some old and some dead. They are always with us.

I appreciate Ken's friendship; I am better for having known him.

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