Kenneth Lynn Robbins

February 14, 1946 — July 29, 2024

Kenneth Lynn Robbins (Ken or Kenny to those who knew him best) returned to the loving arms of his Savior on Monday, July 29, 2024, where he is most assuredly enjoying an ice-cold Pepsi with the dearest of his family and friends who prepared a place for him. As he was throughout his life, Ken was surrounded by friends and family as he left this world for the next, where he must have breathed a sigh of relief with a big, satisfying stretch, now unencumbered by the pains of his earthly body.

Ken was born February 14, 1946, in Ogden, Utah, the fourth of five children to Elliot Robbins and Athleen Bateman. Ken was loved and raised with his family in Ogden, graduating from Ben Lomond High School in 1964. The summers of his youth were spent camping with his brothers in Yellowstone, followed by year- round trips to Island Park, Idaho, to the family cabin on the Snake River.

Ken married Debra Gleason on February 6, 1970, and together they had one daughter, Mona. They later divorced. On June 9, 1973, he married Debora Cox; together, they had three children: Denver, Summer, and Nick. Ken and Deb were married for 30 years before she passed away in 2003. Following Deb’s passing, Ken was lucky enough to find and fall madly in love with Julene Holbrook. Married on January 17, 2015, Julene provided Ken with nine years of laughter, care, and unconditional love. They built a home, a life, and a family together. His marriage to Julene added four sons to Ken’s circle of love: Paul, Mark, Gary, and Jared. Julene was Ken’s constant, loving companion and champion and was by his side to the very end.

Ken was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He served in many roles, most memorably as Scoutmaster, Sunday School President, and High Priest Group Leader. However, it was through Ken’s unconditional love and acceptance of others, his protection of the meek, and his compassionate service to those in need that he lived his testimony and as an example of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ken enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1965. Ken was proud of his country and his military service. He served and protected his country in the Vietnam War, serving in England, Germany, and Switzerland through the 1970s.

A lifelong artist, painter, and creator, Ken’s creative abilities began to shine when, as a teenager, he began oil painting, calligraphy, and dabbling in special effects makeup. He parlayed his talents and started his career as a sign painter for Grand Central in Logan, Utah. In the 1980s, Ken took his love of special effects artistry and, along with his best friends Scot and Seldon, conceived and launched the award-winning Calgary Clinic Spook Alley. Supported by the members of the Syracuse 7th Ward, and in the service of others, the proceeds earned from this venture were donated to the young men’s and young women’s associations to help the youth of his ward attend summer camp at no cost to them. Ken was a gifted painter and sketch artist. He spent his entire life, especially his retirement years, painting beautiful landscapes and homes. Ken’s paintings and drawings, especially his personalized architectural pen and ink drawings, are among his friends’ and family’s most prized possessions.

Ken could fix, build, or improve upon anything. He was generous with his time, talents, and resources, never hesitating to lend a tool, his truck, his flatbed trailer, riding lawn mower, or helping you move, fix your car, mow your lawn, or build a deck off the back of your house. If you were looking for Ken, he was probably in his garage tinkering or fixing something. He spent his youth working for his father’s construction company and learning the construction management trade. He later worked as a Civil Engineer for the Army Corp of Engineers, designing buildings and overseeing governmental and military construction projects. Answering the call to serve, Ken and his team helped in the rebuilding of many southern cities following Hurricane Fran in 1996. Outside of his professional career, Ken combined his talents in art and architecture into designing custom homes for friends and families, as well as designing and building two homes of his own. Always considering the comfort of others, Ken’s homes were famous for their large staircases, designed with long treads and low rises to accommodate sore knees, backs, and hips. Ken loved being able to walk out his front door and see from his big porch many of the homes he designed for his friends. His homes were big, beautiful, and designed to unite families together in celebration, with open spaces and large kitchens.

In his own kitchen, Ken was king. A skilled and talented cook and chef, Ken was the original ‘foodie”. He could open his pantry and fridge and create delicious meals out of seemingly nothing. Ken especially loved Dutch Oven cooking. Ken started several Dutch Oven competitions throughout Utah and Idaho and won numerous local and state awards of his own for his Dutch Oven baked beans, fried chicken, and rolls. He taught Dutch Oven classes at the Ogden Nature Center and published his own cookbook, The Cast Iron King. Year after year, Ken volunteered as camp chef for his ward’s Young Men’s camp- even after his own sons had left. Ken would spend weeks preparing menus for camp and delighted in serving the Young Men of his ward culinary masterpieces in the middle of the woods. Later, Ken continued his cooking adventures when he took over the family restaurant, Whitelock’s Café, at Cedar Bay Marina in Henry, Idaho. For three years, Ken got up before the sun to open the doors of his café to locals. His cooking provided a refuge for friends and family who would come in for his hand-crafted burgers or to simply sit back with a Pepsi and visit. Ken was happiest when in the service of others. Here, he loved serving others by filling their bellies with delicious food and feeding their souls with a story or a chat. After his retirement and with the coaxing of his wife Julene, Ken, always envious of Food Network chefs, followed a lifelong dream of becoming a chef and went back to culinary art school and trained to become a professional chef. Now in his 70s, Ken was so proud to be the oldest member of his graduating class. Ken loved donning his tall white chef’s hat and cooking up a storm for birthday parties and family celebrations.

Ken had a natural green thumb and loved gardening. He could spend hours working in his garden, or better yet just being in his overalls in his garden with a Pepsi and showing off his rototiller. He planted acres of fruit and vegetable gardens that he canned and preserved every fall so that his family had delicious, healthy food year-round. Ken even enjoyed getting up, usually with his whining kids in tow, at 5:00 AM to manage the irrigation rights for himself and his neighbors. Even after he stopped growing his own garden, Ken loved the simple joys of a fresh August tomato sprinkled with salt or sitting in his neighbor’s garden on a lawn chair picking and eating fresh snap peas, again with a Pepsi in hand. Ken loved nature and being outside. Ken designed and built custom tents for himself and his family, including a full-size teepee that he would cart around the country on top of his truck, “the weed burner,” with his kids to mountain man rendezvous. Later in life, Ken could often be found asleep in a lawn chair in his backyard, basking in the sunlight or closing his eyes and turning his face to the sun on a walk around the neighborhood with his family. It was simple pleasures like this that filled him with joy.

Family history and traditions were important to Ken. This meant holidays were big and full of traditions passed down from generation to generation. It also meant the ceremony and reverence he put into setting up his beloved Christmas village. Ken was an avid genealogist, spending hours researching his own and other family histories. Ken was equally interested in mapping his lineage as he was about learning the stories of those who came before him. Eager to share this passion with others, Ken embarked on a 5-year mission as a missionary at the Church History Library. Ken spent hours daily teaching and serving people worldwide to learn about their origins.

Above all, Ken loved his family more than anything else in the world. He was fiercely protective of us, unconditionally accepted all of us, and served us throughout his life by always putting us first. This love for his family went beyond just his wife, kids, and grandkids. It didn’t matter to Ken if you were blood related. His family included members born into and chosen to be part of his circle of love. Ken was a kindhearted man with a tender spot in his heart for helping others in need through service or simply offering you a big hug. There will be a hole in our lives without him in it. We feel comfort in knowing that we will see him again and that by going on before us, he continues to put his family first by preparing a place for us.

Ken was preceded in death by his wife, Deb, his parents, siblings, and parents-in-law. He is survived by his wife, Julene; his children, Mona (Wes), Denver, Summer (Kyle), Nick (Jordan), Paul (Nessa), Mark (Suzie), Gary (Jamie), and Jared (Lisa); 25 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; his sisters and brothers-in-law; and countless nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends.

Ken’s family would like to give a very special thank you to the team at Symbii Hospice for their love and care of Ken during his last days. Thank you for easing his pain and making him comfortable. Most especially to Marcie. You were more than just a nurse; you were a dear friend to Ken. We will never forget your kindness, service, and generous spirit.

Ken’s life will be honored at a viewing on Friday, August 2, 2024. We invite friends and family to reconnect and celebrate Ken’s life from 6:00pm-8:00pm at the Syracuse Lindquist Mortuary- 869 S. 2000 W. Syracuse, UT. 84075.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, August 3, 2024, at 11:00am at the Syracuse Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints chapel- 2679 S. 1000 W. Syracuse, UT. 84075. A visitation will be held before the services from 10:00-11:00am.

Internment at the Syracuse City Cemetery.

Ken’s family would like to invite all his family and friends to join us for a luncheon following graveside services at the chapel, where we can continue to reconnect and celebrate our love for Ken and each other.