William "Ken" Kenneth Memke

William Kenneth Ken Memke, the only son of the late William Kenneth Memke, Sr. and Lady Marian Hungarland Memke, brother of the late Mary Lou Memke, passed away on February 9, 2021 at 91 years of age. Ken was the beloved husband of Mary Jo Memke (nee Buxton). Ken and Mary Jo met at their church youth group when they were both 16-years-old and were married for 68 years. Ken was a graduate of Withrow High School Class of 1947. Upon graduation from the Cincinnati College of Pharmacy, he embarked on a 55-year career in pharmacy, which was his lifes passion. Ken was a lifelong resident of Cincinnati, Ohio with the only exception being a brief stint in the U.S. Army, where he served as a Pharmacist at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver, Colorado. Ken and Mary Jo made their home and raised their family in Anderson Township. Ken was known to his township neighbors as the owner of Kunkel Apothecary. To him, every employee was regarded as a family member and each customer considered a friend. Ken was active in the community as a member of the Forest Hills Board of Education, serving as its President for over 16 years. As President, he had the unique privilege of conferring high school diplomas on each of his 4 children. Ken also served, concurrently, on the boards of theGreat Oaks Vocational School District and the Ohio School Board for 25 years. Among the many accolades Ken received, he was most appreciative when named Outstanding Citizen by the Anderson Township Chamber of Commerce in 1981, followed by Citizen of the Year in 1982. In 2007, he was given the honor of being the Grand Marshall of the annual Fourth of July parade. As a devoted member of Anderson Hills United Methodist Church, Ken enjoyed serving on various church committees and volunteering for service projects around the church and community as a member of ARMM. Rare time away from work was often spent on the Ohio River. Ken enjoyed piloting the family houseboat, the Second Choice, so named because it was the agreed upon (safer) substitute for the plane he would have liked to have been piloting. Or friends could often find him puttering around their Summer Home in Warsaw, Kentucky, which they affectionately called Camp David after their son. In colder weather, Ken and Mary Jo often escaped Cincinnati and headed South to their Condominium in Englewood, Florida. Ken is survived by his wife Mary Jo, their children Susan (Brad) Veldkamp, Sharon Wright, David (Julie) Memke, Sally (John) Vogele; their grandchildren Kristen Veldkamp, Whitney Wright DeCoste, Matthew Wright, Nick Vogele, Jack Vogele, Elana Memke, Olivia Memke, and their great-grandchildren Emma and Madison DeCoste.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Bob Drew Memorial Garden, C/O Anderson
Hills United Methodist Church, 7515 Forest Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45255. Friends may visit at T P WHITE & SONS Funeral Home 2050 Beechmont Ave. Mt. Washington on Fri. Feb. 12, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. Private funeral service at the convenience of the family.