WYERS o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-05-06 published
Ken POWERS
By Leslie POWERS
Thursday,
May 8, 2003 - Page A22
Artist, banker, bird watcher, traveller, amateur archaeologist.
Born February 4, 1925 in Ottawa. Died June 17, 2002, in Oakville,
Ontario, of cancer, aged 77.
Two things usually struck people when they first met Ken: He
had a way of finding something remarkable about you and passed
along his observation with sincerity and a grand sense of humour,
and he was a constant source of information. Ken could tell you
in great detail all about the unusual bird nestled in the tree
or the areas of Nova Scotia where the Mi'kmaq people settled.
He was inspirational, yet humble enough to be inspired.
Ken was born in Ottawa to a single mother but was raised by his
strict Irish grandparents. Barely 17 years old when the Second
World War broke out, Ken, determined to serve his country, enlisted.
He became a member of the Royal Air Force's 12th squadron, stationed in Lincoln,
England. Remarkably, Ken made it back from every one of his 32
missions.
Prior to the war, Ken had no ambitions for higher education or
a career. Upon returning to Ottawa, he had a new sense of purpose
and direction and immediately enrolled in Carleton College. He
later entered the college's undergraduate commerce program before
completing his degree (with Honours) at Queen's University.
Shortly after graduating, Ken was hired by the Industrial Development
Bank (now the Business Development Bank of Canada) and began
a career that took him, his wife and two children to Winnipeg,
Montreal, Halifax and Oakville. During his tenure at the bank,
Ken also spent time in Ghana, Africa, teaching commerce.
Ken's wife Joan was his soulmate and constant companion. The
couple met in 1954 after a performance of Swan Lake by the Royal
Winnipeg Ballet. Joan was a ballerina with the Royal Winnipeg
and Ken was introduced to her following a performance one spring
evening. Married after nine months of courtship, Ken would often
remark on how lucky he was to have met his "darling Joani."
While living in Halifax, Ken started taking art classes. Ken
had always drawn, but the art classes uncovered a unique talent.
Art became a focal point in Ken's life. Friends would often receive
a painting to commemorate a special event. Incredibly well-versed
in art and artists, Ken became an aficionado and collector of
Canadian art. When living in Winnipeg, he made a special point
of contacting the primitive painter, Jan
WYERS.
Ken befriended
Mr. WYERS and corresponded with him for years. While living in
Halifax,
Ken contacted Nova Scotian painter Maud
LEWIS, and made
several trips to her tiny house in the country where everyone
would gather round the wood-burning stove, discussing her art
over a cup of tea.
Ken's other interests included bird watching -- a passion born
out of a chance childhood meeting with Canadian ornithologist
P.A. TAVERNER.
Ken also liked archeology: his archeological digs
took him across Canada and to the Badlands in the United States.
When Ken invited Friends and their children on his archaeological
digs he would often strategically place arrowheads around the
site so the children would find them.
In 1980, Ken retired from the bank to pursue his many avocations.
For the next 20 years, Ken and his wife travelled extensively.
The places he visited became inspiration for his artwork and
his paintings often portrayed images from distant lands or those
closer to home, such as snow-laden pine trees in Algonquin Park
or decaying totem poles on the Queen Charlotte Islands.
Shortly before his death, a close friend remarked that Ken operated
the way people are supposed to be living their lives: with passion
and with joy.
Leslie POWERS is Ken's daughter.
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