Obituary of Kenneth Burnette

None Kenneth Claude Ray Burnette Kenneth Claude Ray Burnette was born on Jan 20, 1959 to Buddy and Sue Burnette. He was the first of their four children. Kenny lived in Williamson, West Virginia until second grade when the family moved to Homestead, FL. Growing up he enjoyed playing baseball, listening to rock and roll music and swimming. His fondest memories included riding with his Dad along the Florida Keys making deliveries, trips back to West Virginia to visit family and pranking his family members, especially his Mom. After graduating high school, Ken served a short stint in the US Army. Upon his discharge, he returned to Dade County. He enjoyed tennis, dancing and shooting pool. He held various jobs but the one he enjoyed the most was as a tree trimmer. At the age of 30, Ken decided to return to school. He entered the LPN program at South Dade Community College. While in nursing school, he met Leslie and they were engaged after a brief courtship. Soon after their engagement, Hurricane Andrew destroyed their homes and Ken’s school plans. They were married Oct 9, 1992 by a Notary Public next to a condemned club house and moved from Homestead 2 days later. Ken and Leslie relocated to Omaha, NE. They lived there for 4 years. Ken worked as a cook at various restaurants and hotels. There they were blessed with their daughter, Keely. Ken found Omaha a bit too conservative for his liking and wished to relocate again. The family moved to Tallahassee, FL. Ken continued to work as a cook. Jack graced their family with his arrival the following year. They lived there until 2000, when this time it was Leslie that wanted to move. Ken lived in Fort Bragg, CA for the next four years. He continued to work as a cook but also returned to school. He found his love of computers, his favorite class was Photoshop and he enjoyed manipulating images. After a bout of unemployment, the Burnette family moved once again this time settling in Olympia, WA. Ken returned to school and received his AA degree in Network Administration in 2007 from South Puget Sound Community College. He was never able to find lucrative work in his field. In 2009, Ken was diagnosed with Stage 4 rectal cancer. Over the course of 2.5 years, he underwent surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy to delay the progression of the cancer. During that time, he endured much pain, illness and exhaustion. He also had good times in which he was able to travel to Disneyworld, vacation in Lincoln City, OR and visit CA a few more times. He continued to enjoy Florida State football games. He remained an avid listener to the Beatles, Bob Dylan and bluegrass. Ken is survived by his wife Leslie, daughter, Keely and son, Jack. He leaves behind his mother, Sue Burnette, brothers John and Duane Burnette. He is preceded in death by his father Buddy and sister, Vada. The family wishes to extend heartfelt gratitude to the staff at Western Washington Oncology, Radiant Care and Providence St. Peter Hospital Oncology Unit for their unending support and compassion to all of us. We extend our thanks to Dr. Maury Blitman and the many physicians that offered hope and treatment during Ken’s cancer journey. We feel blessed beyond measure for the friends and family that have sustained us during this time. We are grateful.