NOTE: A version of this Boot Prints profile was originally published in the July/August 2022 edition of the SBHC Newsletter. Sadly, we recently lost Ken due to complication for heart surgery and decided to report the article as a tribute to his memory.
It is hard to imagine that anyone in the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club does not know the name Ken Wong. For the past 12 years, hikers have seen his name every other month when the SBHC newsletter is distributed yet may not actually know much about Ken or his many contributions to the success of the SBHC.
Ken was born in Honolulu, raised by parents who prioritized education. He attended Punahou High School (a few years earlier than another young man named Barrack Obama), completed his undergraduate studies at Purdue receiving a BS in Industrial Management, then on to Michigan State for an MBA. After four years of AFROTC, Ken served in the US Air Force for four years achieving the rank of Captain, spending his entire military career at Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota, where he was a Minuteman III Missile Combat Crew Commander.
Ken’s over thirty-three-year career at Rockwell Collins in their commercial Aviation and Communications Electronics sector brought him and his family to Iowa (twice), Texas, Florida, California, and Arizona. Ken held various positions including Director of Financial Planning and Control, Division Controller, and Business Acquisition Integrator.
After moving to SaddleBrooke in 2009, Ken soon joined the SBHC and served as Secretary from 2010 to 2012, while also serving as Communications Coordinator. Ken acted as a liaison with the HOA1 Webmaster during the time when it supported the SBHC site. However, when this arrangement ended in 2011, the club needed to develop its own. Never having built a website before, with the advice of a nephew, Ken taught himself how to do so and http://saddlebrookehikingclub.com was born! Since then, Ken has been instrumental in the continuous improvement of the website and email systems for the club, including the transition to new, more efficient software, and upgraded security. In the future, Ken hopes to see even more advancements to improve the experience of both hikers and guides.
Besides the bimonthly distribution of the newsletter, Ken posts updates to the website, distributes special bulletins, and checks the hiking club roster daily to ensure that guides always have access to the best information available. Over the years, when asked to participate in ad hoc panels, such as the 2021 Bylaws committee and the newly created Technology committee, Ken has always risen to the task. Even with the long hours he puts in each month, Ken gets a lot of satisfaction out of his work with the club. When asked about the many roles he has played, Ken says, “I like change and getting into new things. It has been an evolution.”
Ken began hiking when he lived in California. While he currently considers himself a C hiker, Ken has hiked down and back from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, with an overnight stay at the Phantom Ranch. When asked about a favorite hike, Ken did not hesitate; it was the eight plus mile trail to the Supai Village on the Havasupai Reservation, with the highlight of seeing Havasu Falls.
Ken on the Great Wall of China (taken by Marge Wong)
Ken on the Great Wall of China (taken by Marge Wong)
Ken is a world traveler, having visited six continents. With Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Europe under his belt, Antarctica cannot be far away! He has visited the alps, Eastern Europe, and Machu Picchu. Ken has experienced the thrill of visiting his ancestral country of China and the misfortune of being dumped out of a makoro (dugout canoe) in the Okavango Delta of Botswana!
Ken is an avid target shooter and occasional golfer. He has volunteered as a tutor at the Coronado K-8 and Catalina Mountain Schools and with the Red Cross as a Disaster Action Team Supervisor. Ken served on his Unit’s Social Committee for seven years, during which time he and his wife Marge organized the annual picnic. Ken also enjoys DIY projects around the house and servicing and maintaining his cars.
Ken & Marge in the Okavango Delta in Botswana (taken by Mark Menghini)
So, when the next SBHC newsletter arrives in your inbox, think of Ken and all his efforts to deliver it to you. But please do not email him; he definitely does not need any more work!
Please think of Ken and remember all his selfless efforts to deliver the Hiking Club Newsletters to you.
GODSPEED DEAR FRIEND
YOU WILL BE GREATLY MISSED