Ken Munger: an uncommon ‘common’ man

As sad as it is for a community to lose an individual like Ken Munger who embodied so many admirable traits, even more disheartening is the fact that he is among a rare and dying breed that seems to be nearly irreplaceable in today’s society.

Ken passed away Sept. 22 at the age of 92. Like so many of his contemporaries, he worked hard, enjoyed recreational endeavors, knew the value of a dollar, and contributed in many, many big and small ways to the area he was born and raised in – because it was the right thing to do, not for personal recognition or self-glorification.

"Ken was always eager to contribute, both with his time and financially – he was a very helpful person who was willing to work on whatever assignment or project would be of benefit to the community," recalls Kurt Becker, a fellow business owner in downtown St. Johns for a good portion of the same time period that Ken owned and operated R.E. Benson Plumbing & Heating.

"We worked on a lot of the same city committees over the years and were involved together in the St. Johns Chamber of Commerce and St. Johns Rotary – Ken’s mind was always working; he had ideas and insight on lots of issues. Sometimes, that kind of got him into trouble, but he always enjoyed a good conversation and liked to stir things up a bit."

Similar qualities are remembered by Barry Dean, a Munger family friend of a different generation.

"He had a great sense of humor and just a wonderful attitude," Dean says of the quasi-paternal relationship that evolved between the two men over the years. "He was a tremendous competitor himself, and encouraged his own sons – and their friends, like myself – to try their hardest, but always to keep things like athletics in perspective."

Dean, who became a respected businessman in his own right, remembers celebrating birthdays together with his "older" mentor.

"Ken’s birthday was Dec. 3 and mine is Dec. 2, so our families would sometimes celebrate together – mostly because Doris and Ricki, our wives – would organize things like that," Barry said with a laugh. "I remember when I was 30 and Ken turned 60, he joked about how from that point forward, it would start to feel like I was aging more quickly than he would – and he was right about that."

His volunteer involvement on the St. Johns Board of Education and a love of athletics helped promote a long friendship between Ken and Dwayne Wirick, an assistant principle and athletic director at Rodney B. Wilson High School for many years.

"Ken and Doris were married and lived here when Barbara and I moved to St. Johns," Dwayne recalls. "We had kids the same age and had some similar interests and just got acquainted – he was just one of those fellows who it was easy to get to know and everybody liked.

"We enjoyed playing golf together – and Doris was just a wonderful lady. Ken was a good businessman, and the Munger family was just a good bunch of people."

There is no doubt but that "family" was a top priority for Ken – and that Doris was at the core of that unit. Together they raised two sons, Ben and Scott; were equally "parental" with those sons’ wives, Bette and Jill; and were very proud of their eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

A complete obituary of Ken’s life is contained in this issue.