MARSH, Kenneth Augustine
Kenny was a much loved brother, husband, father, uncle, grampa, and friend. Kenneth was born August 28, 1945. He loved nothing more than a good laugh, a cold beer, and his darling wee grandchildren, Julian and Malcolm.
A brilliant graphic designer and painter, his creative hand made an impact in the public sphere in the tourist signage of Nova Scotia’s scenic trails, the redesign of the fleur-delis of the Quebec flag, and the iconic brown Parks Canada signage in the 70s in addition to many other design projects. Ken worked in Montreal in the 70s, winning many national and international awards before moving back home to Nova Scotia, winning more national awards under his own Ken Marsh Graphics banner. He was head of the graphic design society of Nova Scotia in the early 80s. Ken was a graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, N.S. His design work continued in Toronto well into the digital age in the 90s and 2000s. He retired from design in 2012.
Apart from his design work, he pursued other expressions of his creativity; his dry-brush watercolor paintings were astonishing in their realism and emotional content. He sold a few in Halifax, N.S. but then turned his attention to posters as art, most notably a Cape Breton poster featuring a puffin and a poster of Joan Doherty’s famous dolls.
Kenny loved music and while he didn’t make any himself, he supported and loved the music his family made during kitchen parties and especially his brother Lorne’s songwriting. He spent almost every night blasting current music in the living room and doing his version of dancing; his daughter’s lullabies were as likely to be Meatloaf and Ram Jam as Brahms.
Son of the late Sonny (Sylvester) and Bessie (Elizabeth) Marsh of Reserve Mines, he leaves behind his wife Virginia (Cooke) and daughter Jaye (Jeremy Graham); grandchildren Julian and Malcolm Graham; and his beloved siblings Sylvia, Carl, Melvin, Gerard, Priscilla, Myron, Beth, Lorne, Adrian, and Karen and a host of nieces and nephews he loved. He is predeceased by brother Thaddeus and has finally reunited with his twin brother, Kevin – who never left his thoughts.
Ken died June 11, 2017 at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. In lieu of flowers please make a donation in Kenny’s name to the St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto on the donation page http://smh.convio.net/goto/ ken_marsh or by telephone 416864-5000. Thank you to the staff of the Respirology and Cardiology departments who took the greatest care of us. Ken’s ashes will be interred beside his brother Kevin in the St. Joseph Holy Family Cemetery, Reserve Mines, Cape Breton.