Kenneth Robert Softley

1936 - 2026

Kenneth Robert Softley

July 16, 1936 - January 11, 2026

Topeka, Kansas - Kenneth Robert Softley, 89, of Topeka, passed away Sunday, January 11, 2026.

He was born July 16, 1936, in Grafton, Nebraska, the son of Lloyd Alfred and Alice Mary (Kleinschmidt) Softley. Family moves during his youth took him to Kearney, NE and on to Chadron, NE.

Ken is survived by daughter, Kimberly Harper (Tom) of Las Vegas, NV; son, Jeffrey "Jeff" Softley of West Hollywood, CA; and brother-in-law Bill Wickham of Oro Valley, AZ. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Lloyd, Jr., and sisters Helen (Bill) Moore and Judy (Bill) Wickham.

Ken attended Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH, and was graduate of the University of Nebraska, where he was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Upon graduation, Ken began more than 25 years in radio, working at Nebraska stations in Lincoln and Hastings, in Denver, and Kansas stations in Wichita and Topeka. Ken considered Wichita the high point of his broadcasting career, where he was play-by-play announcer for Wichita State football and basketball teams. He later retired from State of Kansas employment in Topeka.

In addition to radio broadcasting, Ken turned to public address microphones for the AAA Wichita Aeros baseball team, the National Baseball Congress state and national tournaments, the Kansas state high school track and field meets, and UST&FF national meets. He helped promote the Wichita Rowing Association and was later a volunteer for the Topeka Rowing Association and its Great Plains Rowing Championships regattas, activities that drew on his experience as a coxswain on the crew at Phillips Exeter.

Shortly after moving to Topeka, Ken became active in the Topeka Jazz Workshop, serving several years as vice president of the membership concert series. Ken also served one year as president of the Kappa Sigma alumni chapter in Topeka, and was active in the Northeast Kansans For Nebraska alumni chapter. Since retirement, Ken has also served his former classmates as Class Correspondent for the quarterly Exeter Bulletin.

No services are planned.

Memorial contributions to the TJW Scholarship fund would be welcomed at Topeka Jazz Workshop, PO Box 452, Topeka, KS 66601.

To share a memory of Kenneth or leave a special message for his family, visit the guestbook below at www.dovetopeka.com.