Growing up on the east coast, there were times when the miserable Muskegon winters were too much for me to handle. But regardless of the day, Ken was always hunched over his computer when I came into work, and his cheerful smile immediately washed away whatever funk I was in.
Whenever we weren’t talking photos, we would ramble about the goings-on of baseball or hockey that day. It seemed every week he had another story about the Stanley Cup. By the end of my internship, he ended every email with a “Go Nats!” and I’d finish with a, “Go Tigers!”
Nearly two years and several zip codes later, Ken’s influence on my life hasn’t waned. It never will. Sure, he was a fantastic photographer and an excellent teacher, but that takes a backseat to just how genuine of a person he was. Even people who had never met him told me, “I hear Ken Stevens is the nicest guy ever!” when I mentioned I worked in Muskegon.
The news caught me so off guard, as I imagine it did with everyone who knew him. It’s not easy to hear, and harder to believe. My thoughts and condolences to Teresa, Jeff and Faith.