Kenneth Daniels

A man larger than life. A man with a million stories & who could spend hours telling them! Those who know him understand this is no exaggeration!

Ken Daniels made his departure from this life April 19, 2024. He was born October 15, 1941 in Missoula, MT to Vera & Gene Daniels.

Never afraid to try something new, he began grinding beautiful bowls from ugly chunks of wood even though his hands were numb and his eyesight was very poor. His good friend and local artist Larry Pirnie told Ken that he was truly an artist. This made him so proud. You didn’t get away from his house without one of his ‘horny bowls’ or a ‘plain’ bowl…even the propane and UPS men have bowls!

Dad often mentioned how proud he was of each of his 7 children. The most important thing to him was that we were happy. He is survived by 17 grandchildren, two of whom spent a lot of their childhood with him. One of those two, Jeremy, returned from 19 years in Hawaii and now lives with Dad & Mom, helping out tremendously. Also surviving are 17 great grandchildren. Ken managed to outlive his 5 siblings, Robert Hanley, Cheryl Tabish, Doug (Marlene), Mickey, and Larry (Coni) Daniels.

Ken married Sandra Kay Smith on December 10, 1960. Craig (Beth) and Rene (Vince) were born of this marriage. Having had a rocky start at love, and after just a whirlwind 3 week courtship he danced his way into a marriage with Johan Kay McDonald on July 15, 1966. It came complete with her three children, Jodi, Jim, and Scott (Michelle) (all now go by Daniels). Shortly thereafter, at a time when men did not get full custody of their children, Dad was awarded custody of Craig and Rene. A couple years later son, Kenneth (Donna) arrived. Jo was the love of his life. Despite being warned by a friend AND her courthouse co-worker, the local Justice of the Peace, that Ken was a poor choice and too rowdy to marry, she went ahead with the marriage. They would have celebrated 58 years of married love together this coming July. At the young age of 80, Dad and the rest of the family were thrilled and totally delighted to learn that unbeknownst to him, Dad had another daughter, Lore Killerman (Derek) who is just one year to the day older than son Kenneth! Lore immediately took her rightful place, fitting into the family perfectly. In Lore’s words, “Dad made me feel like I’d been part of the family since the day I was born. That is a man – that is the definition of love”.

A remarkable accomplishment was Dad becoming an ordained minister in order to officiate at his grandson Ryan’s Scottish themed wedding held at the home on White Swan Bay. Ken was very fashionable in his Prince Charlie jacket and McDonald tartan kilt. Because of poor eyesight, it was necessary that he completely memorized the vows. Years later he joined a second grandson, Calvin, to officiating his marriage in Pony, MT.

The family moved to Kitimat, BC, Canada in 1970 in order for a higher position in Ken’s career as a papermaker. He raised his family there, moving back to Missoula in 1980 to care for elderly parents. He and Jo purchased and ran a Personal Care Home for the next 20 years.

Dad loved playing Santa on Christmas Eve to kids, grownups, and elderly alike. He was excellent at it, even going to homes of people he didn’t know if he noticed a little child looking out. When Kenneth was 5, Ken was called out “you’re not Santa, you’re my Dad!”. One time in Kitimat, BC, he went in the wrong house. It was a Portuguese family who didn’t speak much English. Ken ‘Ho Ho Ho’d’ his way upstairs to the living room where the astonished family stared at this stranger in amazement. He passed out candy canes and left. They probably wonder who he was to this day!

Retirement has been spent where our little family cabin was on Flathead Lake. The cabin turned into the second house that he designed. This is where he developed his ‘artistic side’.

He faithfully, for 17 years, helped maintain White Swan Road in the summer, plowing the entirety of it and White Swan Lane in the winter, despite his physical limitations.

Ken never said he lost a leg, just claimed he lost 30 pounds! Neighbors affectionately know him as “The Mayor of White Swan Bay”. He liked to say he was fast becoming the ‘local character’, greeting all neighbors, new & old.

Several of his old cars were rebuilt by his good friend, Rick Dennis. Many of them winning Best of Show awards at car shows.

Donations, if so desired, may be sent to either the American Diabetes Association or the American Heart Association. Ken suffered for 40 years from diabetes and ultimately passed on from heart disease.

Huge thanks from the family to all the neighbors who have shown so much love and support to us over the years.

Dad would want this ended with his theme song “Keep on the Sunny Side”.

To all who knew him, the family suggests: please raise a glass to Ken. His preference, of course, would be a good Gin and Tonic! SLAINTE!