Colonel Kenneth

Colonel Kenneth “Ken” Kone (USA, Ret.), 97, passed peacefully away in his Houston, Texas, residence on the 28th of May, 2022. He is survived by his children, Kenneth M. Kone, Jr., Carol A. Kone (Mike Host), Dennis G. Kone, and Bruce C. Kone, MD (Daisy); grandchildren, Natalie A. Kone Leland (Josh), Justine D. Kone (Chip), Lindsey J. Kone, David A. Kone, and Stephen G. Kone (Lyndsey); and great-grandchildren, Sawyer G. Kone, Leanna B. Kone, and Aurelia A. Kone Leland.

Ken was born in 1924 in Texas, Maryland, one of eight

children, to Charles Littleton Kone, a carpenter, and his wife, Lulu Zink Kone. When Ken was seven, his father suddenly died, leaving his mother to raise the family. They moved to Towson, Maryland, and lived

at the old Bosley Hotel on Shealy Avenue, which his mother managed. He sang in church choirs, the Glee Club, and performances with his brothers, was active in high school governance and performances, and played baseball, often teaming up with his brothers to defeat nearby teams. After graduating from Towson High School in 1943, he worked briefly as an airplane inspector but quickly enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served in the Pacific Campaign in World War II as a member of the

96th Infantry Division. He rose quickly through the ranks to become First Lieutenant. He led combat missions as a Unit Commander in the Philippines Campaign and the

Battle of Okinawa against the Imperial Japanese Army. After World War II, Ken returned to Baltimore County and married his sweetheart Helen Marie “Heidi”. They had a son, Kenneth Jr., and then moved to Fort Knox, Kentucky, where their daughter Carol was born, while Ken served in the 245th Field Artillery Battalion. He left for combat with the 25th Infantry Division in the Korean War. Tragically, his beloved wife suddenly died during that time. Several years later, he married Dorothy “Dottie” Feeser, who he impressed with his Charleston dance. She had a son, Dennis, from a previous marriage. The family “blended” on the military ship to Butzbach, Germany, where Ken served during the Cold War Era. In 1958, he and Dottie had a son Bruce in Frankfurt, Germany. Ken then attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth before moving to the Pentagon in the Adjutant General Corp. He earned his bachelor’s degree at night school from the University of Maryland and later his MBA from the University of Miami School of Business. He then returned

to South Korea during the “Second Korean War.” His final assignment was to help lead the U.S. Army Finance and Defense Information Schools at Fort Benjamin Harrison. After 28 years of service, Ken retired as a full Colonel in 1970. He had earned multiple military honors,

including the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal with third Oak-Leaf Cluster, the National Defense Service Medal with Oak-Leaf Cluster, the Korean Service Medal, and the Philippines Liberation Ribbon. But he was incredibly proud of his Combat Infantryman Badge with four overseas bars. After

he retired from the Army, Ken embarked on another

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