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Kenneth P.
Horsburgh, an 87-year summer resident of Cedarville, died on October
19, 2008 in Palm City,
Florida. He was 88 years
old.
Born in
Cleveland, Ohio in 1920, he graduated Case
School of Engineering with a mechanical engineering degree in 1943.
He served in the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1942 -1946. He was
associated with The Horsburgh & Scott Co. in Cleveland, a
manufacturer of gears and speed reducers, for over 50 years.
Ken always
considered the Les Cheneaux Islands
area to be his “real home”. He visited Cedarville virtually
every summer since 1921, first with his parents and two older
brothers, and eventually, with his own wife, children and
grandchildren. He missed only two years, one during his naval
service and the other this past summer due to illness.
Most of all
Ken loved boats, especially wooden boats, which were his true
passion. He and Charles Letts were the
founding organizers of the Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat
Show in 1978, now in its 32nd year. In his boyhood years, he grew up
on the “Firefly,” a 24-foot, three-cockpit Chris Craft speedboat,
one of the area’s most famous wooden boats. In 1936, after he and
his brothers showed an interest in sailing, their father (Robert)
ordered, by mail, a wooden sailboat for the boys. The three brothers
sailed that sailboat, an 18-foot Cape Cod Baby Knockabout (“Hoot
Mon”) for over 50 years. It is now displayed in the Les Cheneaux
Historical Association’s Maritime Museum.
In 1964,
seeking a sailboat of his own for his growing family, Ken purchased
the area’s first Ensign, which
proved so well-suited for the local waters that there are now 63 of
them in the Les Cheneaux area. This enthusiastic group of Ensign
sailors form the largest Ensign racing fleet in the country. In
2007, Ken received the National Ensign Association’s lifetime
achievement award for his contributions to the advancement of the
class.
He is survived
by his wife Ruth of 64 years, three children, Kip (Jean),
Christopher W. (Chrissy) and Laurie Herman (Tom), 14 grandchildren,
and 2 great-grandchildren.
A memorial
service will be held next summer in Cedarville. The family asks that
in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name should be
sent to the Les Cheneaux Historical Association., P.O. Box 301,
Cedarville, MI 49719.
Ken Horsburgh's Memorial Service
Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 2:00 PM
First Union Church in Cedarville
Followed by a reception at the Cedarville Community Center on M-134
Everyone welcome, to either or both events.
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