Kenneth Carl Bade

June 8, 1959-January 6, 2024

Kenneth Carl Bade was born in Winterhaven, Florida on June 8, 1959 to Elbert Carl Bade and Daryll Henderson Bade. Air Force assignments for his father took Ken and his older brother Russell to Harlingen, Texas, where his sister Laurel was born. In 1963 the family moved to Waco, where his other sister Bonnie was born. In 1966 Ken and his family moved to Japan, where his dad flew reconnaissance missions during the Vietnam War. Ken started elementary school in Japan and studied Judo. In 1969 the family moved to East Highlands, California and Ken completed middle and high school in Redlands. He loved theater and while in high school performed in plays such as Lil Abner and Carousel. Ken was an athlete and played football and rode ten-speed bikes with his brother. He loved to fish and hike and went on many hiking trips in the Sierra Nevada with his father and brother. He especially loved the Eastern Sierra and trout fishing.

Ken attended Crafton Hills College and later transferred to Pierce College in the San Fernando Valley where he lived with his grandmother, Virginia Wright Henderson, in Reseda. Ken had many educations and occupations, including selling and trading gold, radiology, and botany. He was a bouncer at LA clubs during the 80s punk scene and eventually lived in Venice, where he worked as an x-ray technician.

Ken was a scholar of all disciplines. An avid reader, he read all versions of the Bible and other sacred texts, classics such as Mark Twain and Jack London, histories of all continents and cultures, and uncountable books about physics, botany, aviation, philosophy, psychology, astronomy, and more. His family liked to comment that he had a PHD in everything.

Ken was funny and had a quick wit and profound appreciation for humor. His face would take on a half-sideways grin as he would deliver a line that left us all laughing. Ken had red hair and clear blue twinkling eyes that shone when he laughed. His favorite state of being was jolly and he often played practical jokes on his friends. This was a trait he displayed early on with his love of magic tricks and entertaining. Kenneth was incredibly strong and many relied on his strength to help carry them through tough times. Ken lived his life to the fullest. He cultivated dreams of global travel, raised gardens, and camping. He loved his home and family.

Ken married Sue Pope in 2005. They bought a house in Chino Hills and Ken helped Sue raise her children, Christy, James, and Allison, as well as grandchildren Emily and Zachary. Ken and Sue loved Disneyland and went regularly with annual passes, sharing their experiences with their families. Ken became certified as a machinist while supporting his family in Chino Hills. He developed expertise in installation of high tech medical equipment, traveling all over the country to perform installations of MRI and other diagnostic medical equipment. He loved to travel and always made the effort to explore and get to know the places he visited. He sent his family photographs of monuments, museums, and national park natural landscapes during this time. In 2016 Ken’s wife Sue passed away just as Ken had gotten a job as a cast member in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. His grandchildren as well as his nieces Virginia, Sophia, Bezzy, and Renee have many wonderful memories of visiting Disneyland with their uncle. Children loved Ken because they could see his big and generous heart, which he wore on his sleeve.

In 2020 when Disneyland closed down due to COVID-19, Ken stayed in his Chino Hills home where he lived with his grandson Zachary. They loved their cats and had a nice companionship as two bachelors. Ken became ill as the pandemic ended. He died on January 6, 2024.

He is survived by his father, Elbert Carl Bade, his siblings, Russell, Laurel, and Bonnie, his brothers by marriage, Walter von Westphalen and Asnake Elias, his sister-in-law Donna Anselmo, his step-children Christy, Allison, and James, his step-grandchildren, Zachary and Emily Pope, and his nieces Virginia and Sophia von Westphalen Bade, Bezzy Elias Bade, and Renee White Eyes. He is forever in the hearts of all who knew him and we cherish fond memories of his warm, humorous and loving demeanor.

Please join us to celebrate Ken's life on March 16 2024 at Noon, Chino Valley Masonic Lodge 6050 Riverside Dr., Chino, 91710.