Kenneth Gordon Willas

Kenneth Gordon Willas, 87, of Dunedin, Florida, passed away on October 20, 2022 following a short illness after suffering a stroke in August.

Ken was born July 18, 1935, and grew up in Elmwood Park, Illinois. He also lived in Wood Dale, Illinois, and Roselle, Illinois, before eventually relocating to Dunedin, Florida after retirement. He attended Lane Tech College Prep School in Chicago, Illinois, and worked his entire life as a mechanic, first on automobiles and then forklift trucks. He met the love of his life, Janet "Jaye" Willas (nee Niederkorn) when she was his dance instructor. Ken and Jaye were married in 1957 and they spent 52 years working together as they built their family welcoming 5 children, 12 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren until Jaye's unexpecting passing in 2009. He was a practical joker, a cookie monster, and a big kid at heart. His favorite hobbies were collecting and shooting guns, drinking and playing games at the bars, playing poker, watching old movies, or watching Yellowstone. He has gone to be with Jaye, and he will be missed by family, friends and neighbors.

Ken is predeceased by parents, Albert & Ganna Willas, his wife, Janet Willas (nee Niederkorn) and his son, John Willas.

Left to cherish his memory are: his sister, Carole Kervin (nee Willas) & her husband Michael; his daughter, Christine Abbinanti (nee Simi) & her husband Giuseppe, together with their children, Michelle Anderson (nee Simi) & her husband John "Bill", Jason P. Simi, Pete Abbinanti & his wife Alison (nee Murphy), and Steven Abbinanti & his wife Carolina (nee Sati), and their grandchildren, Jack Anderson, Jason L. Simi, Jorie Anderson, Julienne Abbinanti, Payton Anderson, and Amaya Abbinanti; his son, Michael Willas, together with his sons, Nicholas Willas, and Lucas Willas & his wife Hannah (nee Thompson), and his grandchildren, Benjamin Willas, Jessica Willas and Ellie Willas; his son, Scott Willas & his wife Jeannie (nee Heckinger), together with their son, Jeffery Willas; his daughter, Joanne Willas, together with her daughter, Jennifer Willas and her granddaughter, Ruby Willas-Dubuc; and his daughter-in-law, Kelly Willas (nee Branon), together with her children, Joshua Willas, Zachary Willas, Jared Willas and Olivia Willas; along with uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, cousins and many close friends who were like family to him.