Obituary of Kenneth-K. Conrad

Kenneth K. Conrad of Binghamton, NY The Lord saw, his son, Kenneth Conrads' suffering on February 8, 2010 and knew the desire of his failing heart was to be with: recently departed (Dec. 2009) special friend Patricia Forbes; stepdaughter Doris Call (2003); brother Lee Conrad (1992); brother Forest Conrad (1994), niece Ruth Tiffany (2002) and her husband Lawrence ("Bucky") Tiffany (2008); friend Louise Lesko (2001); friend Franklin Granger (2007); parents Lewis and Celia Conrad (Whiting); brothers Cecil Conrad, James Conrad (2002), and Ray Conrad; sisters Dorothy Lashier and Helene Cameron; nephews Ronald Conrad, Harold Conrad (1997), Clifford Conrad (1958), Dennis Conrad (1999), and Gerald Conrad (1992); and, ex-wife "the Queen Bee" Doris Conrad (Call). Ken is survived by: niece Jilda Rush; "granddaughter" Gina M. Gage (Gina proudly called Ken her "Grandpa". Ken loved Gina as his own granddaughter, the bond being greater than if she were his own. Ken delighted in doing carpentry work for Gina, even climbing on the roof of her home to do repairs at age 85!); dear friend Thomas Hoke (Tom says "Ken is my favorite guy of all time. I'm going to miss him!"); faithful feline friend "Tommy"; nephews Lewis and Winnie Conrad, Gaylord and Terry Conrad, Eric Beavers, Tyler Rush; nieces Phyllis and Frank LaBelle, Vicki Ollerenshaw, Debra Hughes, Lisa Glosenger, Adrianne Richie, and nieces-in-law Clara Conrad and Norma Conrad. Kenneth Karlton Conrad was born in Harford, Pennsylvania on April 29, 1921. He was inducted into the 121 st Army Air Force 10 April 1942, departed Brooklyn 16 July 1942 aboard the British operated troop carrier "Louis Pasteur" arriving at Suez, Egypt, 16 August 1942 where the 121st AAF was divided into several groups. Ken went with the 323rd Air Service Group to Egypt-Libya, what he refers to as the "North African Invasion". The "Pasteur" was designed as a luxury liner with greyhound speed for the long ocean haul from France to South America. She was captured in Canada by the Allies and converted to a troopship, carrying thousands of Allied troops to Europe and Africa during World War 2. Due to her speed, the "Pasteur" made her many troopship crossings alone, without a warship escort, and not as a member of a convoy. She was the 3rd fastest ship in the world at the time and sailed for forty-one years. The "Pasteur" and the many soldiers she carried were instrumental in the Allied victory and the freedom we all enjoy to this day! Ken also served in the Naples-Foggia, and Rome-Arno campaigns, received the "Europe and African Middle Eastern Service" medal, and even served with the British Army for a time. He was demobilized 15 Dec 1944, departed 11 Mar 1945, and arrived home 4 April 1945 and honorably discharged as a Sergeant in the 121st AAF Base Unit on 2 September 1945. God gave Ken the same carpenter abilities he gave his first son Jesus. Ken worked his whole life as a carpenter doing exactly what God designed him to do; some of us are not fortunate to discover what we were created to do, Ken did! Many a home in the Triple Cities still stands proudly as testament to this monumental man! Yet, Ken's own home was nothing of the quality he built for others. Here again, this is somewhat like Jesus when he was a carpenter on earth. Jesus says in Matt 8:20 "Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but I the Son of Man have nowhere to lay my head." Jesus built many structures but none for himself. An honorary celebration of Ken's life will take place at the Sunshine Valley Church in Blatchley, NY followed by a dinner at Jilda's home in June when family members and friends return from Florida. This would enable Jilda to show-off the English Walnut kitchen cupboards that Ken and her father "Bucky" built to "granddaughter" Gina and special friend Tom Hoke. Jilda will have a reason to fire-up the old player piano that belonged to her Great Grandparents that has not rung out a single solitary note since "Bucky" departed March 22, 2008. Bucky and Ken did a lot of carpentry work together for many years. Ken was talking to Jilda the night before he died, stopped in the middle of a sentence, turned his head away from Jilda and said "I'll be right with you in just a minute "Bucky" and he was the very next morning!!