Remembering Kenneth Canterbury

Ken was about 75 years old when he came to the department and joined us. He had had many decades of fighting wildland fire out West, And with the Ashburn VA Volunteer Fire Department. He said he just wanted to belong again to another fire department and to come to our training and be of assistance as he could at his age. Ken attended many trainings and fundraisers in the last five years. We also considered him a friend.

He lived with his son here in Berea but during his funeral was able to meet all of his children and many of his grandchildren. They told me some of his stories that he was born November 21, 1945, in Bergoo, WV. He lived in Berea with one of his sons after the loss of his wife approximately 10 years prior. He expressed several times how much he missed her and that he was lonely without her. How as a boy of about 6 he found a rock that was hairy He showed it to his sister and they decided it must have been a frozen kitten and decided to bring it into the house to the basement where the large heater was to let it thaw out to see if they would have their very own cat. A short time later their mother went downstairs yelled up the stairs what is going on down here, what is that smelly pile of rags doing by the heater. It turned out that it was not a frozen kitten or dirty rags, but it was three frozen Skunklings. The kits did not survive the freezing, but they were smelling quite a lot next to the heater. His mother made him carry them out of the house and throw them over the fence.

His life was noted as being one of physical action. He fought forest fires for the National Forest Service and volunteered with the emergency squad in Randall County in Elkins, WV. He loved to tell all the stories to his grandchildren about what he used to do. Kenneth joined the Army National Guard from 1986 to 2005 as a unit supply Specialist. He was deployed during Operation Desert Storm where he earned the rank of Sergeant First Class, He was honorably discharged in 2005. He was proud of his service and always wore an Army veteran ball cap. But very seldom talked about what he did when he was overseas. Ken was also an active member of the American Legion post 50 and was a member of the Ashburn Virginia Volunteer Fire Department and until his death a member of the Red Lick Volunteer Fire Department.

Ken was able to live a full life but we will miss him terribly and after meeting with his family also he was a great father, grandfather and husband. Also to note at his funeral members of the VFW were there to help lay him to rest.

Keith Everitt, 1164 RLVFD member and Ken’s friend.