Kenneth G. Kitchen

Kenneth G. Kitchen, 77, of Phoenix, Arizona, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and brother, passed away peacefully at Hospice of the Valley Eckstein Center in Scottsdale on June 12, 2018. Ken was born in Ridgewood, NY, on May 31, 1941. A 1959 graduate of Bethpage, NY High School, he joined the U.S. Navy upon graduation and ultimately became a Navy Seal. In June 1962, while on military leave, he married his high school sweetheart and the love of his life, Barbara Stone, with whom he ultimately shared 56 years of love, commitment, challenge and joy until his recent passing. Ken was stationed on the U.S.S. Thomas Edison, a nuclear submarine, just off the coast of Cuba during the intense Cuban Missile Crisis in October, 1962, when the Soviet Union "blinked," while facing the U.S. military challenge. Following honorable discharge from the service in 1963, Ken achieved great success in the corporate world, playing key roles with IBM and Inforex in New York, Boston, Dallas, California and Phoenix. In 1982 Ken purchased Arizona Lock and Safe, a security business that he grew dramatically over the subsequent 36 years, providing employment opportunities for a large number of local r...[more]

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dents. During his tenure as President of Arizona Lock & Safe, he brought the latest methods and technologies to the business and provided exceptional service to a large number of Arizona companies and homeowners, as well as to many other companies throughout the United States. Ken was a devoted family man. He and his wife travelled extensively, often joined by their children, grandchildren and other family members. In turn, his family loved spending time with him and brought out the fun and youthfulness of his spirit. A lifelong boating enthusiast, Ken spent a lot of time with family on lakes and oceans throughout the country in successively large water craft throughout his life. His favorite two boats were his current one and "the next one." Having worked on cars since his high school days, Ken loved most vehicles with style and character, ranging from his Indy-pacecar Corvette, to his '55 Chevy, to his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He worked hard and enjoyed his "big boy toys." Ken will be dearly missed by his survivors, including his wife Barbara, his son David Kitchen and his wife Kelli of Phoenix, his daughter Shari Martensen and her husband Todd of Phoenix, grandchildren Tiffanie and Bryce Kitchen of Phoenix, Grant Martensen of Omaha, Nebraska, Trent Martensen of Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the rest of his loving family. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Ken's memory may be made to Hospice of the Valley Eckstein Center, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, or the charity of your choice. The funeral will be at Hansen Desert Hills Mortuary and Cemetery in Scottsdale on Monday, June 18, with guest arrival starting at 1:30 p.m. and the service starting promptly at 2 p.m.