Read Kenneth Ray Tucker's Obituary & Leave Condolences

In memory of

Kenneth Ray Tucker

Greenville, CA

November 28, 1947 - March 16, 2020

Nov 28, 1947 - Mar 16, 2020

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If you’ve lived in, or visited, Beautiful Indian Valley any time in the last 40 years, then you’ve probably encountered Kenneth Ray Tucker, or just “Ken” to most of the folks in his life. You might have encountered him at the Evergreen Market, a business he poured a nearly endless amount of energy and passion into, or possibly as a member of the Indian Valley Fire and Rescue Team, where he lobbied to add rescue and EMT capabilities to the department. You might also have met him at a local Rotary fundraiser, or at one of the many local school sporting events he attended. As a Rotary service, the family hosted many exchange students and teachers, bringing representatives of the world to Greenville. Even if you never met him in person, you almost certainly felt the impact he had on this community.
Ken was born in Sacramento on November 28th 1947, the first child of Victor and Frances (Hein) Tucker. From them he inherited a passion for amateur radio operation, and he earned his Ham Radio license at the age of 14. Ken and his younger brother David were both Eagle Scouts. He spent summers on his Grandfather’s ranch, and he credits this experience as one of the sources of his work ethic – we also think it might be the source of his love of tractors.
Ken’s interest and skills in radio proved to be a tremendous advantage in his career as a disc jockey and later as a broadcast news director, but more importantly it led him to the Radio Club at Sacramento State University, where he met the love of his life, Centella Wilson. They were married in 1968, and together they raised three sons: Andrew, Nathan, and Nick. Centella has been his steadfast partner and caretaker for over fifty years.
As a young man, Ken suffered constantly from abdominal pain, and when he was 13 years old a specialist diagnosed him with Crohn's disease. The doctor didn’t sugarcoat the diagnosis, and told Ken that his life expectancy was short. At the time he was only expected to live to 19 or 20 years old. The doctor summed up his advice by saying “if there’s anything you want to get done in life, do it now.” This advice shaped the rest of Ken’s life, which turned out to be far longer than anyone expected. As treatment options and medical technologies improved, Ken survived and thrived for several more decades than anyone could have predicted in 1961. That advice, though, remained a motivating force for Ken and was a memory he often shared with his children. In recent years, as the challenges of his health have caught up with him, he’s reminded his family that he’s had far more time than he expected.
In June 2013, after waiting several years on a kidney transplant list, Ken came to accept that he would probably not receive a donor kidney, and he resolved himself to a graceful exit. It was minutes after he came to this realization that his phone rang and he was told that a potentially compatible kidney had been found. The Donor Kidney was indeed a match, and it gave Ken several years of good health, freedom from dialysis treatments, and mobility. Because of the transplant he was able to travel extensively with Centella, and over several years they visited every major league baseball stadium in the United States. He was able to attend his eldest granddaughter’s wedding –something he never expected to be alive to see.
On Tuesday, March 10th 2020, Ken spent the day with his close family. He went to bed that night with sounds drifting in from the next room of his children and grandchildren sharing memories and telling stories. He fell into a sleep that would last the rest of his life, surrounded by his wife, his brother, his children, and his grandchildren. The final end was shortly after noon on March 16, 2020.
If you call Beautiful Indian Valley your home, or if you are a visitor who has felt at home here, we hope you will remember Ken and his love for this place.
In lieu of flowers, Ken wished that donations be made to the Indian Valley Fire and Rescue Department. Due to current restrictions on public gatherings, a memorial service will be held at a later date. This obituary is, of course, an incomplete accounting of Ken’s life. If you have memories of Ken, we hope you will share them here.

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