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Kenneth William "Ken" Adrian

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Cornell College University of Iowa

Kenneth Adrian Obituary

Kenneth 'Ken' William Adrian
Kenneth 'Ken' William Adrian born June 25, 1973 in Hinsdale, IL. Ken was married to Dawn (Schmidt) Adrian on July 28th 1995 in Waverly, IA and the couple recently celebrated their 20 year anniversary. Ken peacefully joined the Lord in the early morning hours of August 26th 2015 at the age of 42 surrounded by his family after a courageous battle with colon cancer. Ken was a 1991 graduate of Evergreen Park, IL High School. He went on to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Business at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, IA in 1995 and completed his Masters of Business Administration from the University of Iowa in 2002.
Ken worked for the State of Iowa, Heartland Financial Systems, Wells Fargo and most recently American Credit Acceptance as Director of Analytics from November 2010 until his passing. Ken attended Anderson Mill Baptist Church and was recently baptized on Easter Sunday.
Ken ran 200 miles an hour all the time, was considered a workaholic by most and thrived under stress. Ken enjoyed playing the guitar with his band 'Conditional Approval', writing, taking family vacations to Hilton Head, hikes in the mountains and fishing. Ken had an amazing sense of humor, which was greatly appreciated by those that were close to him. Ken was outgoing, funny, creative and an analytical thinker who would make even the smartest person rethink their opinions or facts. Ken reached a lifetime goal by going skydiving before his passing and enjoyed himself to the fullest extent as he did with everything he did. Most importantly Ken was a loving husband, an outstanding father & role model for his children and all others he came in contact with.
The family will receive friends at 10AM. A 'Celebration of Life' will be held on Saturday, August 29th, 2015 at 11:00AM at Anderson Mill Baptist Church located at 4455 Anderson Mill Rd. Moore, SC 29369. Please respect Ken's wishes that this service is a celebration of his life and do not wear regular funeral attire such as suits and/or black clothing, please wear bright colorful polo shirts as desired.
In lieu of flowers, please consider contributions to the family or charities dear to Ken's heart such as, the ASPCA or other animal rescue organizations.
Ken is preceded in death by his father William Adrian and all four grandparents. Ken is survived by his wife Dawn Adrian, three wonderful children Addison 17, Christian 13, Alana 9, his mother Patricia (Walters) Adrian, brother James Adrian, Aunt Monique and husband Constantine Bruns, Aunt Arlene and husband Norm Dixon, In-Laws Russell and Karen Schmidt, Brother-in-Law Michael Schmidt and his wife Jennifer along with their daughter Chloe and Brother-in-Law Todd Schmidt.

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Published by Spartanburg Herald-Journal from Aug. 27 to Aug. 28, 2015.

Memories and Condolences
for Kenneth Adrian

17 Entries

Bob Tafuri

September 2, 2015

My sincere condolences. I worked with Ken as his contact for ACA's payment vendor for the last 3 years. Ken was very knowledgable and personable.

Jeffery Pilon

September 2, 2015

To the family of Ken Adrian, Ken was a brilliant person who I had the privilege of working with for over 10 years. He was a great sounding board for ideas and someone you could trust and count on. He will be missed.

Ed & Evonne Myers

August 30, 2015

I remember Kens grin when you chatted with a stranger in the parking lot at S&S.

Love you all ! You are such a neat family. Our prayers are with you all. You are a strong Mom Dawn.

Cindy Randall

August 29, 2015

My sympathies go to Ken's family. He was one of the good guys at ACA and will be truly missed. He was a real stand-up guy with a genuine sense of humor.

Wendy Bennett

August 28, 2015

To the family of Ken Adrian, Your husband, father, son, brother, cousin, and uncle was a blessing! Even during his illness he always greeted you with a positive word. He didn't want to be known as the person that was battling cancer, but the person that was pushing past the pain that ridiculed his body to inspire others to push through! Matthew 5:4 states blessed are those that mourn for they will be comforted. Praying for you all!

August 28, 2015

To Dawn and the entire family, may God be with you during this chapter of your life. May he bring peace and joy to your hearts and live on the wonderful memories of your loved one. Heartfelt Sincerity.
From Merdel Chisolm
Caregiver of Visiting Angels

Lori Schweer

August 28, 2015

Dawn, my heart goes out to you and your family. The memory of Ken's integrity will never be forgotten. What a good, good man. Love you.

Joe Dworak

August 28, 2015

Our deepest condolences to the Adrian family. Ken was a great Scout leader and impacted our Pack in such positive ways. He will truly be missed and our thought and prayers are with you.

Paul Hartman

August 28, 2015

You are in my thoughts and prayers. After reading all the loving comments here, I regret having not known him.

Ken and I visited Chicago earlier this year and this was taken at the Art Institute of Chicago. He loved the painting.

Mark Havlicek

August 27, 2015

Ken was like a brother to me and was the first person I reached out to when I had a crisis or question about what road to take or good news to share. His advice was without concern for what one wanted to hear but rather perfectly addressed what you needed to hear. On my first day at a new job, Ken (I did not know him yet) was assigned to on board me and teach me about the business. He had just finished his MBA and wanted to show the new guy how smart he was. He threw every big word he knew at me - and he knew them all - and instead of try to feverishly take notes I instead wrote, "blah, blah, blah...I have an MBA and you don't...blah, blah, blah...I am smarter than you...". When he finally took a breath and asked me, "Did you get all that down in your notes?", I turned my paper around and showed him what I had written. He stopped, paused, shook his head with a sly smile (you know the one) and said, "Mark, I think we are going to be good friends". From that point on we were. I don't have a similar confidant or friend like Ken and I don't believe I ever will. His wisdom and ways have changed me for the better and I am forever grateful to him.

Meghan Hortis

August 27, 2015

Ken was an amazing mentor and loved his family so much! I learned a lot from him and I know he will be greatly missed!

August 27, 2015

Our sincere sympathy and prayers for the family. joe and Mary Ann Dillard

Karen Russell

August 27, 2015

Wishing you strength and comfort in the days ahead.

Arlene Dixon

August 27, 2015

You were an awesome son, nephew, husband, father and friend. You will be missed by many. Your memory lives on. The Kingdom of Heaven is brighter.

Tricia Kostyk

August 27, 2015

Ken will live forever in the hearts of all those fortunate enough to have crossed his path. My sincere condolences to your family in this truly challenging cross road.

Anne Burnett

August 27, 2015

We are thinking of you all, as always, and wish we were closer. I met Ken 20 years ago, and his wit and demeanor were refreshing. He told it as he saw it, and we have always loved spending time with your family. Your strength is amazing, and we rejoice with you in Ken's life and legacy. Our love to you.

Kimberly Canty

August 27, 2015

Most heartfelt prayers and condolences to the Adrian Family.May God comfort all during this time of great loss. Ken was a great and awesome man, so grateful to have shared part of work life with him.

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