Ken Joseph Wantland

On Monday, October 10, 2022, our beloved father, Ken Wantland passed away at the age of 84 after a long battle with Supra Nuclear Palsy. A long time Santa Cruz resident, he was a hardworking, fun-loving man leaving behind his wife, Lorraine, daughters; Pam, Valerie and Shelly along with 7 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.

Ken was born April 2, 1938. He attended Santa Cruz High and served in the Navy as a CB in Guam. Ken was a well-respected local contractor, building many custom homes in Scotts Valley along with multiple phases of the King's Village Shopping Center including the Scotts Valley Roller Rink, now housing the SV Library. Folks who worked with him knew "if Ken built it, it wasn't coming down". Transitioning from construction, Ken worked at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk as Director of Facilities for 25 years. He took pride in his work and was honored with the Brass Ring Plaque which hangs on the wall inside the Merry-Go-Round.

Ken's hobbies were fishing, boating and car collecting. He was a member of the Twin Lakes Kingsmen Club. Ken loved to dance, making it tradition to dance in his cowboy boots and cut-off shorts at every daughter and granddaughter's wedding. Ken's daughters will cherish his sense of humor recalling memories of being woken up at 6am with "Good Morning Angels" over the intercom followed by the blaring of 50's Rock n' Roll music. Another cherished memory is a crazy 3-month summer vacation in a motorhome, visiting 38 states. Dad made life fun!

Ken will be honored in a private family celebration of life. His family will continue to honor him by living life with laughter and fun!

Published in Press Banner · November 14, 2022