Kenneth L. Villard Phd

KENNETH L. VILLARD, PhD
Ken was born in Massillon, Ohio to Kenneth L. Villard and Marilyn Elaine Villard and
received his "birth football" at Massillon City Hospital. He inherited his passion for fishing
from his father through their annual family fishing vacations to Rapid 13 on the Ottawa
River in French-speaking Quebec. He became lifelong friends with several school
buddies who also shared this love for fishing and adventure, which led to annual fishing
trips each year in eastern Canada and the eastern United States. Ken played the
trumpet in the Massillon Washington High Band and like most Massillon Tigers after
graduation he followed his high school football team religiously for the rest of his life.
Ken graduated from Bowling Green and went on to complete a master's degree at
Michigan State. He served in the army and again through a common interest in fishing
he made additional lifelong friends while in the service. Ken completed his doctoral
studies at Michigan State and then served as a professor of communications at
Cleveland State University while authoring several textbooks on communication skills.
Ken then made a shift in his career and worked for the Federal Reserve Bank based in
Cleveland in their personnel department. Again he made lifelong friends in the banking
industry before founding his own company in the mid-1980s named "The Villard Group."
His business took him to the West Coast to establish his home in California and grow his
consulting business dealing with management skills, coaching, consulting, and employee
retention. He soon gained business clients worldwide and moved his home to Lake
Tahoe while keeping his business in California. Ken's career was exceptional and the
lives he spoke were vast. Ken loved few things more than assisting others to achieve
their full potential.
Ken leaves as he termed her " the love of his life" Alicia. He and Alicia spent 12
wonderful years as partners and the truest and dearest friends. Ken found in her the
family he never knew he wanted or needed in his life and to this end did he ever
embrace it and master it abundantly well. Ken jumped right into this family unit and
became the most loving and cherished father to Celeste and Aiden and in most recent
years P'ers to Meadow, Silas, and Holland. Alicia, Celeste, and Aiden are profoundly
blessed to have been loved and cared for so deeply by Ken. He was nurturing, loving,
kind, exceptionally accomplished an all-around exemplary human. We will never know
another as truly remarkable as he. Ken leaves a profound legacy and imprint on our
hearts. He will forever be cherished.
In the words of Maya Angelo, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take,
but by the moments that take your breath away". This was our favorite mantra and truly
how we lived our time together.
To a life well lived, rest in eternal peace, my Love. I will see you again some sweet
day.
Private services for Ken will be held at a later date, per his wishes.