Obituary of Kenneth Duane Courtney

Kenneth D. Courtney: Our dad was born June 10, 1944 and passed away peacefully March 21, 2020 at Rose Arbor Hospice. He spoke in his last days of seeing his parents, Earl L. and Theda Courtney, and his older brother, Earl A. Courtney, in Heaven. We have no doubt about the celebration taking place at that reunion! If anyone would cause a ruckus in Heaven, it would be our dad. Ken is survived by his younger brother Gary and Gary’s wife, Yonnie Courtney. He married our mom, Aleta McKinney, and together they had two daughters: Laura and Kelly. Laura Hatfield married Phil, and together they blessed him with grandkids: Jacob, Phillip, Matthew and Hannah. Kelly Sims married Ken, and they blessed him with granddaughters: Kelsey, Rachel and Danielle. He became a great grandpa to Simon, Harper, Jackson and Harrison. He loved his daughters and all the kids and grandkids. He also shared a special bond with his nephew Gary Courtney Jr. and his wife Karen and their twins, Gabe and Grace; in addition to his niece Malisa (Kai) Cronin. Our dad shared a home with his dear friend, Dee Repotski. Her daughters, Mandy (Jon) Dixon, Jennie Repotski and Brenda (Jesse) Plybon, held a special place in Ken’s heart as well. They recently mourned the loss of Dee’s daughter, Jennie. Handling Jennie’s sudden passing has been especially difficult for her family, our dad included. Some of his favorite things, next to his family and close friends, were his dogs, Mopar, Michigan football and helping people through the Compassion Club along with his good friend, Charlie Smith. One of the things we have heard most about our dad was that he was always willing to help people. When we were young, if he passed a hitch hiker on the road, he would drive our mom and us girls home, and then go back and offer the person a ride. He also gave someone the coat he was wearing because it was cold out. He was kind and loving, and he was stubborn and opinionated. He was a smart aleck, and he will be missed. A celebration of life will be held at a future date when restrictions on gatherings are lifted. In lieu of flowers, please perform a random act of kindness in memory of our dad or talk to someone about Jesus, he would love that!