Kenneth George Waido
Fort Collins, Colo. — Kenneth George Waido was born March 20, 1948, in New London, to George and Helen (Talaronak) Waido. He fought for months to recover from heart surgery and entered into eternal rest June 15, 2019, in Fort Collins, Colo. Ken was the only child of Helen and George Waido. Ken enjoyed playing Little League baseball, basketball, crabbing with his father and going to New London’s Ocean Beach. Ken “Hawk” was a part of a neighborhood group of friends known as the Quo Vadis, Latin meaning “Where are you going?” He valued his friendships for life as each individual made an impact on him.
Ken attended Southern Connecticut State and the University of Nebraska, where the first person he met when he arrived on campus was Colleen. That is where their love story began as Ken and Colleen were married a few years later, Aug. 18, 1973, in North Platte, Neb. Ken worked for the Bootheel Regional Planning Commission in Malden, Mo., and two years later became the Chief Planner for the City of Fort Collins for 37 years, “coming home to a place he’d never been before.” Ken collaborated with many members of the city to make Fort Collins a desirable place to live. He enjoyed the challenges of working for one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. One of his greatest achievements was the Land Development Guidance System that received many local, regional and national awards. The land policy was noticed as an innovative plan and he was recognized and invited to Oslo, Norway, twice to be a consultant.
Ken was a member of the Western Planner (WP) for 37 years. Over time, he served as the organization’s president and treasurer. The WP has raised the quality of planning in the Mountain-Plains area through the sharing of ideas, planning news and practical planning methods. The group members became his second family. He traveled with his wife and children to different conferences all over the western states. Two times he was awarded the President’s Award for outstanding achievement in his own community.
Ken was an avid sports fan. He loved the UConn Huskies, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Colorado State Rams and most recently the Wahoo Warriors where he enjoyed watching his grandchildren play football, basketball and volleyball. He attended all of his children’s sporting events, music concerts and school events. He was known for being extremely punctual, often arriving before the team bus. He was a great role model and coach. For over 20 years, he coached his own children and hundreds of others in baseball and basketball and was well-known for teaching the fundamentals of the game both mentally and physically.
Ken loved music, to read, study World War II and travel. He took his family all over the country with a well-planned schedule long before Google Maps. Many of the locations included historical battlefields, state capitals, national parks and baseball stadiums. He loved the tranquil sandy beaches of Lake McConaughy, perhaps one of his favorite locations to remind him of the ocean. This past year Ken traveled with his family to Hawaii, to visit his 50th state, celebrate his 70th birthday and his 45th wedding anniversary. It was his trip of a lifetime.
Ken was most admired for his love and devotion to his family. He is survived by the love of his life, his wife of 45 years, Colleen Shanahan Waido of Fort Collins Colo.; children, David (Chrissy) Waido of Weston, Neb., Anna Waido (James) MacDowell and Michael (Sarah) Waido of Fort Collins, Colo., Thomas (Jacky) Waido of Denver, Colo.; grandchildren, Thomas, Andrew and Audrey Waido of Weston, Neb., Lily and Iris Waido of Fort Collins, Colo., and Luke and Magdalene Waido of Denver, Colo. He is also survived by many dear cousins, in-laws, nieces, nephews and friends who are his family. Ken was preceded in death by his parents, George and Helen Waido.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. July 23, 2019, at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, reception to follow. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association. Please leave your condolences at www.VessyFuneralService.com.