Kenneth Lawrence WINN

1935 - 2024

Spokane - Kenneth Lawrence Winn left this world on August 6, 2024, surrounded by family. He was 89 years young and he fought to the very end, he was, after all, "made of iron." Ken was born to Lawrence (Jake) and Selma Winn on May 23, 1935 in Oakesdale, WA. He grew up there with his older brother, Gerald, and two younger sisters, Judy and Karen. After he graduated high school, on January 6, 1955, he entered the Army for two years which included time served in Korea. When he separated from the military, he enrolled in Eastern Washington University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in industrial arts.  Ken met his wife, Nancy while in college and they married on March 18, 1961. He worked for International Harvester for 19 years and then retired after 15 years with Spokane Freightliner in 2000. His son, Tim, fondly remembers going on trips with him to pick up or deliver trucks. Ken never met a stranger. Every new person was an opportunity for conversation and friendship, and he had a LOT of friends. He spent many hours on the phone connecting with everyone. He often met friends for breakfast and lunch at various places throughout the area. Family was very important to Ken including Nancy's side of the family, especially brother, Don, and sister, Pat. He recently hosted Doug and Theresa Meyer from Virginia and was always happy to welcome family and friends to his home.  Ken loved to travel and there were many trips taken throughout the years, all up and down the West Coast, inland to the four corners and Montana, and many trips to Canada to visit relatives. In his later years, he was fortunate enough to participate in two Honor Flights, one to Washington, DC, and one to Korea. The trip to Korea was very special to him as his best friend Don Bower who served in Korea for the Air Force at the same time Ken was there in the Army, was able to go on the same trip.  Ken had a great sense of humor and always tried to find the light side of things. He always had a joke or saying to make you smile or laugh. He had many "Kenisms," a few I would like to share. When asked how he was doing, a common response was "About to have a runaway". He often said, "Well, you can just get glad in the same shoes you got mad in..." I have shared this many times with many people. When anyone called for one of us kids, he would always say "They're up on the roof, they'll be down in a second". He had nicknames for all of us, Skoash, Muggs, and Boom. Another saying that he very much appreciated came from the great John Wayne, "Life is hard, harder if you're stupid". Ken loved his westerns, he's read many books and spent many hours in front of the TV watching "Lawman" and "The Virginian..." any western would do. He also enjoyed "Longmire," "Jesse Stone,"and "Blue Bloods" in case you are looking for something to watch on Netflix. Ken is survived by his wife, Nancy; his sister, Judy; his son, Tim, and his wife Brenda; his daughter, Heidi, and her husband Mark; his son, Scott; three grandchildren, Craig, Cassandra, and her husband Phil, and Nicholas; and three great-grandchildren, Hailey, Emma, and Olivia.  Graveside services will be held at the Oakesdale Cemetery on August 31, 2024, at 1:00 pm. Anyone is welcome to attend. We will be gathering at the home of Judy Winn afterward.  I will leave you with this, in Ken's very best Elvis impersonation, "Thank you, thank you very much."