Kenneth "Ken" "Kenny" L. Hilton Obituary (1950 - 2011)

Kenneth Lee Hilton, we call him Ken or Kenny, passed away Saturday December 17, 2011. Memorial services will be at 1:30pm Thursday, December 22, at The Louis Memorial Chapel, 6830 Troost Avenue, Kansas City, MO, with receiving by family 1 hour prior. Ken was born April 29, 1950, the son of Kenneth and Artie Hilton and was raised in Grandview, MO. After serving in Vietnam, he married Patti and they settled at Rose Hill Cemetery in Kansas City, where he was the sexton/caretaker. Ken worked in the cemetery and funeral industry for 38 years. He was known for the care and professionalism he brought to work each and every day. On June 5th, 1981, Ken and Patti suffered the tragic loss of their son, Christopher Wayne Hilton, after his struggle with cancer. He was also preceded death by his parents. Then, on October 3rd, 1984, Ken and Patti were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Rachel. Ken is survived by his daughter and son-in-law: Rachel and Justin Gann; step-daughter: Carey Strangeway and her husband, John; brother and sister-in-law: Rick and Annette Hilton; sisters: Becky Fay and Sharon Barker; grandchildren: Nick, Zack, Alex and Jack. Also surviving is his very special companion, Kaycie Skyler and his many friends and family whose lives have been enriched by his spirit. Ken always gave more than he got out of life regardless of who he was dealing with, and leaves a huge hole in our hearts and lives that we will fill with our memories of him.