“He was just a great guy.”
That is the sentiment shared by many upon hearing the news of Ken King’s passing last week.
Ken, who was known for being the owner of King’s Department store until recently, passed away on Friday, December 6th. Since then a number of people in the southeast, including Carlyle, (where King’s is located) have shared their thoughts on the legacy that Ken will leave behind.
“Ken King was a great man,” said Cannington MLA Daryl Harrison. “He was a community man through and through and always encouraged a shop local loyalty. I am truly honoured to have known Ken. My most sincere condolences are extended to Ken’s family as well as the King’s Department Store family. Ken’s larger-than-life personality will remain in our memories forever.”
“I've lived in the town of Carlyle since 1986, and Ken took over the store from his parents later that decade, and I've known him as a friend, mentor, and just an all-around good friend since that time,” said Town of Carlyle Council Member Gord Paulley. “He's been a great community man, he's been on Main Street, he is the advertiser per se. Carlisle's a town of only 1,500 people, and whether it's spring, summer, fall, or winter, we always have hundreds of cars on our Main Street, and a lot of that is attributed to Ken King and King's Department Store.”
“He was just simply a positive person,” he added. “Upbeat, never said a bad word about anybody, he was so inventive, so sophisticated and he had such great ideas and the town and the communities are saddened to hear of his passing, but he’ll be well-remembered for the rest of our lives.”
The current owner of King’s Department Store, Jade Moore, shared similar sentiments.
“Four years ago I joined CrossFit in Carlyle and, through that, got to really know Ken as a person,” Moore said. “Ken always went out of his way to make new gym members feel welcomed and encouraged. He'd say things such as, 'it's so good to have you in the room with us today', and show genuine interest in everyone's life, just making you feel like you belong. Ken had a great sense of humor, and was always kind, polite, positive, and encouraging, no matter what. I have never witnessed Ken having a bad day, even though I saw him every day at the gym. He grew strong friendships and was loved hard by everyone around him.”
She added that that energy and kindness carried over into his work life as well.
“When I first started working for him in September 2023, I got to see a whole new side of him as an employer,” she said. “I have worked for a lot of different people in the past, and I have never felt so respected and valued as I did when working for Ken. He always, always put his employees and their families first before work, no matter what. I really believe that he is the example of what a perfect boss should be - and now I have his example to follow. Ken is someone I respect immensely in all aspects of his life, and someone that we can all take pointers from on how to be a good person. I will really, really miss Ken, but I will cherish all that he's taught me.”
The Mayor of Carlyle, Jennifer Sedor, noted that Ken put people and families first not only as an employer but as a businessman as well.
“I used to host a summer camp and we had a little guy who lost his shoes,” she said. “So we were walking by the store and I stopped in and was going to buy a new pair of shoes and Ken said ‘no way’. He got the little guy a pair of shoes and we were on our way. That’s the kind of guy he was.”
“Ken was one of the most generous people that I have met,” she added. “There was not a time that you went into his store where you weren’t warmly greeted. King’s Department store has been in the town of Carlyle so long as I’ve been here, which is 20 years now, and it’s been a legacy around southeast Saskatchewan and even across the province as one of the places to shop. Everyone would come because Ken was...he always had such a great deal. He had such a good eye for what people were looking for in terms of clothing and he understood what families could afford and he was always there to help people out. He was just one of the most warm and welcoming people that you could encounter and that’s why he resonated so much with so many people. He never forgot your name, even if you were just in for a moment, he would remember that interaction and it was just so special.”
She added that Ken was a huge advocate for the community of Carlyle as a whole.
“Ken was one of the premier boosters of Carlyle,” she said. “He was very involved in the community. He raised his family here, they were very involved in sports. He was a very active volunteer when he had, you know, ten minutes away from the store. He was very excited to be out there supporting his kids, and sports teams, and he’s always been supportive of everyone who walked through the door that was looking for a donation to help with their fundraiser or cause.”
Mayor Sedor noted that he shared that same enthusiasm for the community of Carlyle.
“He believed that it shone brighter than so many other communities out there,” she said. “And I think that’s rubbed off on so many of us here in town and that’s the legacy he’s left for us. We can light this place up and we can make it the best it can be in his honour.”
“There is a quote that goes something like, ‘They won't remember what you said, what clothes you wore, what you did, but they'll always remember how you made them feel’,” added Jade Moore. “And for that I know Ken's footprint on us all will be remembered forever.”
Ken’s Celebration of Life will be held Thursday, December 12th from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at Arcola Prairie Place.