Kenneth Joseph McGregor, the loving husband of Judith L. McGregor, and devoted father of three sons, Kenneth Jr., Jacob, and Michael, died on Saturday August 24 at 6pm, following a long illness. He was 80 years old.

"The finest man I've ever known," says his son, Michael.

A longtime resident of Elkhart, "Ken" McGregor was born in Syracuse, N.Y., on March 24, 1944, and attended school there, participating actively in football, baseball, and track. Upon graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, and, following basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, served in Munich, Germany, Vietnam, and Panama City, Panama. A sergeant, he spent eight years in the army.

It was while he was at Fort Dix that he met "Judy" Judith Waters at an U.S.O. dance. She noticed him, and he noticed her, and, after a few minutes of anxious waiting, he finally asked her to dance. "What took you so long?" were the first words she said to him.

One week later, when they met at a second U.S.O. dance, he presented her with an engagement ring and asked her to marry him.

"I didn't know if I was going to keep it," she recalls, "but said, "Yes.'"

They married on New Year's Day, 1966, and, this year, celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary.

Following discharge, McGregor was employed by Conrail as a maintenance supervisor for 30 years. He and Judith moved to Elkhart in 1992, where they made friends, joined Grace Bible Church, and took great pride in their home. He eagerly tracked Syracuse University's basketball and football teams, Philadelphia's professional teams, and, most recently, the sports exploits of Michael's two young sons.

After retiring from Conrail, he spent several years in retail sales, working at a Sherwin-Williams and Menards hardware stores. There he continued to share with others the qualities that had defined his life—his warmth, concern about others, desire to help out, and impressive work ethic.

"Everyone that met him both liked and respected him," says Michael.

In addition to his wife and three sons, McGregor is survived by Kenneth Jr.'s daughter, Risa, and son, Kea, and two grandsons, Nainoa and Kalco; Jacob's two daughters, Mackenzie and Haley, and one grandson, Wyatt; and Michael's two sons, Gracin and Dawson. He was predeceased by his mother, Dorothy Alt, and stepfather, John Dixon.

Visitation will take place from 11 a.m. to noon with a funeral service held at 12 p.m., on Saturday, August 31, at the Billings Funeral Home, 812 Baldwin St., Elkhart, IN, 46514; 574-264-2425.

Grace Bible Church
1700 Edwardsburg Avenue, Elkhart IN 46514
Tel: 1-574-264-7333