I offer my sincere condolences to Kris and family following the loss of Ken to ever lasting sailing in heaven. He was a great husband to Kris, a good Dad to his offspring and a good considerate friend to all.

He will be greatly missed by all, especially the sailors at Victoria Beach Yacht Club.

I first met Ken in the late 90s at Victoria Beach Yacht Club through the catamaran racing on summer weekends. At that time Ken was sailing a Hobie 14 Turbo and went on the bigger and faster Hobie Cats during the years. He went to Hobie 16, Hobie 18 and then to a Hobie 20. At his passing he had 2 Hobie Cats, a Hobie 14 and a Hobie 20.

Ken was always competitive in racing while always enjoying times sailing on the Lake Winnipeg. Over the years he was always part of our Race Committee, whether helping set up race courses, calculating race results with new innovative methods from manual to computer generated results. He always was there for all sailors in help setting up their Hobies to attain best results, coaching new sailors and ensuring as best as he could explaining race rules to the novice sailors. Regarding rules, he always wanted rules to be followed, even though some sailors did not care if rules were followed. There were many confrontations with some sailors, especially Bruce Guest who didn't care if rules were followed. Bruce passed away late 2024 and now both of them can discuss rules in heaven all they want.

Ken will be missed by all and I am proud to have met him and I truely enjoyed our friendship.

REST IN PEACE KEN

I got to know Ken over the last 3 years. When I walked down the beach to check out what this "Victoria Beach Sailing Club" was all about, it was Ken who was there to show me around and encourage me to join in the sailing. Ken was a relentless ambassador for his favourite sport and the club. Not only with his friendly face, but also with a helpful tip or hint he brought new people aboard and played a huge role in growing the sailing community. It was Ken who was first to send a message in the spring to see if I was joining the summer racing series, and Ken who reached out when I hadn't been out for a couple weekends in a row.

This summer we could all see Ken's strength waning, but his spirit never faultered. He loved nothing more than being out on the water, leading the fleet around the marks, and seeing the next generation of sailors make the races interesting.

We will miss you, Ken, but you will long live on in our memories.

All my love to the family from Ottawa.

Our story with Ken began the summer of 1999 when our boys were taking sailing lessons at Victoria Beach Yacht Club. Near completion of the courses, Ken came along and asked if any of the "new sailors" were interested in crewing with him. Both boys raised their hands, and our history began.

Ken was interested and excited to have not one, but two fearless crew members, Drew and Jay. They took turns sailing on alternate weekends, racing for the glory of the win!

Ken was very competitive, and loved teaching the many tactics of high-wind sailing, even when no one else ventured out on the water. He was a risk taker, and loved the thrills and adventures.

Our family loved race weekends, and it was Ken's personality, sense of humour and desire to teach that was so special. He was aware of how supportive his family was, and his wife Kris and daughters Ally and Laura all became our family's friends.

When Drew and Jay were no longer sailing, we all loved to get together to reminisce, catch up on the present, enjoy good food and toast our families.

Ken's photography and window washing businesses were always something he was happy to share his thoughts about.

We have lost a true friend. Ken loved to reconnect and it always felt like only yesterday that we'd visited. He was thought provoking, funny, kind, considerate and was a bit of a procrastinator, which he clearly recognized. He valued honesty and did not shy away from speaking of past regrets.

Ken was a fighter, and had so much courage when faced with cancer. It may have changed his body, but cancer did not take the goodness away from his mind and spirit.

When we visited just days before he moved on, he was at peace and was meeting death head-on, still with his sense of humour and love for family and friends.

We will miss you Ken, until we "See you again".

John, Debbie, Drew and Jay

Ken was a model sailor and Victoria Beach Yacht Club member. He was a student of the sport always learning how to trim his boat to sail faster or interpreting the many rules of racing for himself and sailors around him. Ken filled all positions at VBYC including Commodore and race chair. As race chair he showed up early race day mornings often with little support making sure everything was set for the race.

Ken believed that the more wind the better. He had little fear finding testy weather something to challenge. Ken never hesitated in assisting other sailors whether it was rigging boats before the race , fixing or repairing their boats or sharing a needed part.

Thank you Ken for modeling generosity, kindness, selflessness and sailing knowledge for the benefit of Victoria Beach Yacht Club.

I first met Ken for a job interview at Photopro. He greeted me with a friendly smile, asked me a few basic questions, then mixed in a tour of his shop with some skill testing questions to gauge my potential. Little did I know that first introduction for a casual job would lead to many years of working with Ken at all 3 locations of Photopro. As invested as he was in his business, it was always apparent that he was a family man first and foremost! Ken always had a sparkle in his eye when he often spoke with pride about the various individual talents and accomplishments of his kiddos. His love and respect for Kris was also always evident to everyone he worked with! Ken had a wonderful entrepreneurial spirit, and was always looking to learn something new, find creative solutions, and share ideas! His love of sailing also carried in to his work life… Whenever there seemed to be an overwhelming amount of work, or a tight deadline, his favourite catch phrase to encourage others was « Go like the wind! » (always delivered in an enthusiastic voice with his signature smile). I lost touch with Ken when I moved out of province after starting my own family years ago, so I’m glad to know that he continued to live an exuberant and blessed life with his loved ones up until his final days. My sincerest condolences to Kris and family. May special memories of Ken sail along in your hearts for years to come!

It was our last race of the season. As Willie and I approached the "B' mark, we thought we were in pretty good shape. Not nearly good enough to challenge Ken, who was well beyond the mark, but good enough for us. Then, a side-stay snapped and the mast crashed down. Others checked on us as we waited for the crash boat to tow us to shore.

By the time we got in, the race was done and the other teams were already on the shore.. Someone went to the club house for drinks and a circle of everyone who had sailed that day formed on the beach. All of us knew it was an important day. An ending.

Before Christmas, a few of us met with Ken at the Forks. He was much thinner than he had been in summer. Ken reminisced about that beach circle conversation after the last race. In his typical
selflessness, Ken said, "We'd never done that before."

Ken will be missed. And those of us who were there that day will think about that circle at the close of every season to come.

Ken and I were initially brought together by our shared passion for sailing, and that passion turned into a deep friendship. I spent countless hours with Ken on the boat—if something wasn’t going right, he was always working to fix it; if things were going well, he was focused on making them even better. Racing alongside Ken was always a great experience, but in the past few seasons, racing against him became incredibly challenging. Ken had a unique ability to make any boat go fast.

I’ve known Ken for over 15 years. There were times we didn’t speak for a while, but whenever we reconnected, it felt like we picked up right where we left off. Our friendship only grew stronger. Ken was always supportive, and I could always count on his honest opinions—not just about sailing, but about life in general.

I know that “changing address” wasn’t your choice, and I know you fought hard. No matter where you are, I hope you find a place where you can sail. My family and I will miss you.

Missing you more than you'll ever know! It is still hard to believe you are gone. My favorite things growing up were the funny accents (Scottish in particular), impromptu comedy that just popped out of your mouth for no reason but to be fun. I still laugh when those things pop into my head. Rum tee buckety ting tang too awoo, and 1 more crust before I bust are the ones that pop into my head the most. I laughed so hard I cried ha ha.

I have enjoyed many years of working with you as well, starting at the Fort Richmond mall with the first photo shop, I think I was about 12. I would take the city bus there. I could greet customers but had to call you Ken which didn't go over well with my mouth ha ha. Calling my dad by name seemed wrong. I could put the film in the envelopes and mark them, then clip them on the rack for processing. Then I did bookkeeping for the 4 stores. I had my kids and then worked for Ken's Window Washing.

What a ride it's been Daddy. I sure wish it wasn't over. I think of you every day and feel your warm hugs. I know you'd be saying "it'll be ok peanut, I love you". But it sure doesn't feel ok right now.

Love you forever.

I came to know Ken through my long friendship with Kris who always spoke of him with so much love. As I read his obituary I realized he truly lived by the adage: When the Lord closes a door He always opens a Window.

I send my sincere condolences to Kris and all of Ken's children and celebrate with them a life well lived.

Shirley Adam

My Buddy Friend of many passions
and School Winnipeg years. Adventures Intrests Hobbies and Building Model Rockets...

I introduced to my Uncle Adrian

Ken who become life long friends..

My Family moved to Edmonton from Winnipeg in 1969. Adrian and Ken remained friend till my Uncle Adrian

Also Cancer Victim { 50 } years Old...

We remained buddies friends thru telephone call conversation and occassionly trip visit back to Winnipeg.

May Heaven Winds Fill Your Journey Ken { R.I.P. } till we meet again....

I

"All you need is love…"

Family was such a source of happiness for Ken, and he always made us feel welcome, although we couldn’t make it to Winnipeg often. That warmth extended to aunties too – seen here, Laverne and Susie.

In recent years, he was around to welcome us at the door, or, taking a break from work, sitting in his favorite blue corduroy swivel chair. "Come on in, sit down," he’d say in a light-hearted voice, smiling. And we would do just that.

We love you and we miss you, Ken. Our love and sincere sympathy to Kris, and to their children and grandchildren.

My Name is Lance Lamond Born Birth City Winnipeg Manitoba March 20 1955

It is sadness sorrow to hear the passing

Ken Taylor - my childhood buddy youth of many years before moving to

Edmonton, Alberta my family in 1969.

I called telephone and kept in touch

on back hone visits till Covid 2019...

My name Grandmother- Cecile Lamond { R.I.P.} lived at 948 Warsaw Avenue

Down the oppositevside of the street

I meet Ken and became buddies friends during in Winnipeg while his private school Raven Court...

We shared many days and dreams hours and of hobbies Building Models and Model Rockets. Life is Short...

Live ❤️ Love Laugh - Ken always was Happy Funny Joking about his family and his eventually own family life.

He walked his own path of life.

It is sadness and sorrow to hear of his eternal passing new address Heaven..

Condolences and Sympathies to his Children { He loved } and Chris- Wife and many friends who knew Ken { R.I.P. }

I met Ken 6 years ago when I moved to Victoria Beach and decided to take up sailing again after 40 years onshore.  I was lucky that he needed a crew and was willing to take me on.   It was a real pleasure to sail with Ken - he was patient as I learned the ropes of sailing his Tiger and was an advocate for working together to make decisions as races progressed.

I want to share an experience I had with Ken the last weekend he raced which epitomizes my memory of Ken. We were heading to the third mark of the race and were leading the fleet.   However we had gone on a different tack than the others and were becalmed.  We sat in the boat watching the others making headway and clearly take the lead.  Ken was thinking of tacking but suggested I stand up and scout around for the wind.

I reported that I saw ripples to the west near the middle of the lake and that I thought the wind was moving our way.  It is difficult to be patient in a boat as others make progress towards a mark, but Ken was.  The next minute seemed to take forever.   

Finally, the wind arrived and as the boat lifted up and started flying to the next mark, I saw the most beautiful smile radiate on Ken's face.  He was in his element flying sailboats !

Ken, my skipper, friend and mentor, we will miss you.  May the wind always fill your sails !