Kenneth John Sovey
Kenneth John Sovey
SPREAD EAGLE, Wis. — Kenneth John Sovey, 83, passed into eternity on July 18, 2022. He was met there by his Lord and Savior and his beloved son Kenneth, who passed before him four years ago. He will be sadly missed by his wife of 60 years, Terry Ann; son, Greg; and son-in-law, Buck Powers; son, Brian; brother, Bob (Jean) Sovey of Escanaba, Michigan; and relatives, Chuck (Cindy) Hjerpe of Spread Eagle, Barbara (Joe) Caccamisi, Sue (Ed) Langford, Steve (Karen) Hjerpe, many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews and good friends in the area.
Ken was born in Escanaba, Michigan, to Clarence and Jane Sovey in 1938 and lived there until he graduated from Michigan State University in 1961. He did his post-graduate work at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. His family owned a cottage one door away from the Hjerpe cottage in Spread Eagle, Wisconsin, and that is where Ken and Terry’s love story began. They would have celebrated 61 years of marriage on August 19.
Ken held many corporate positions throughout his business career. He retired from PepsiCo, Inc. in 1997 as Senior Vice President, Purchasing for Yum! Brands, Inc. – a subsidiary.
After Terry and Ken retired to Spread Eagle, Ken directed his focus to work on community projects. His proudest achievement was serving as Project Chairman for the building of the World War II Glider and Military Museum in Iron Mountain, Michigan. He also served as President of the Menominee Range Historical Museums Board, The Chippewa Club, the Spread Eagle Chain of Lakes Association (SECOLA), and the Florence County Lakes & Rivers Association.
Undoubtedly, Ken’s most impactful and lasting legacy is the example he set for his sons by the way he led his life. He was a dedicated and protective family man, devoted to their mother, Terry. He had an unwavering and lifelong faith with a generous and compassionate spirit, most especially for those in need. He possessed an excellent sense of humor and an unquestionable caliber of honesty and integrity.
The family would like to thank: Pastor Michael March for his steadfast support; Dr. Don Jacobs and the entire Promedica staff and in-home caretakers, Kelli Ashe, Aileen Quiroz, and Colleen Thompson, for the wonderful, compassionate care of Ken in his final days; Perry Jacobs of Jacobs Funeral Home for his guidance and friendship during this sad time.
A memorial service will be held in July of 2023, when the family will gather to celebrate Ken’s legacy of life. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made in Ken’s honor to the World War II Glider and Military Museum in Iron Mountain, Michigan.
Friends may leave condolences and tributes to Kenneth’s family online at www.jacobsfuneralhomes.com.
The family has chosen the Jacobs-Lundholm Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Florence, Wis., to honor Kenneth’s legacy of life.