1956 – 21.05.2022
Ken Wilson passed away peacefully in hospital on Saturday 21 May 2022 after a short fight with Lymphoma; he was 65. Ken’s family – his wife Kaye and children Hannah and James – meant everything to him. Ken was married to Kaye for 36 years after being a customer at the bank where she worked.
Ken was an avid sports fan and season ticket holder for his beloved Watford Football Club. He passed on his passion for sport to his children James and Hannah. They attended many sporting events with Ken, including the London Olympic Games, the Wimbledon tennis championships, summer athletics, hockey matches and Watford FC games.
Ken worked for the BBC for over 30 years, working his way up to the position of Senior Sports Producer for the World Service. During this time, Ken thrived as a multi-sports journalist and programme producer, covering a range of sports tournaments abroad. It was through his work that his engagement with the ‘hockey family’ began and Ken joined the Hockey Writers’ Club around 1997.
Ken’s career saw him cover three Olympic Games, football World Cups and Wimbledon before leaving the BBC in 2011 when the broadcaster moved to Salford, Greater Manchester. Ken was Media Manager at the Riverbank Hockey Arena for the London 2012 Olympic Games as well as Broadcast Information Officer at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Always smiling, Ken had been described as “one of the loveliest and kindest people” you could know, and his expertise was highly valued. He drew on his vast knowledge and experience from large sporting events to give his time freely in numerous volunteer and charity positions.
Within hockey Ken became a prominent figure, firstly at the National Hockey Stadium at Milton Keynes and then later at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre as a leading ‘Hockey Maker’. Ken joined the Hockey Writers’ Club committee in 2015, becoming Secretary in 2016 – a post he held until his recent passing.
Away from hockey, Ken volunteered for the physically impaired sports organisation WheelPower based at Stoke Mandeville, and at DCFL, an educational charity teaching IT skill.
Ken brought light into the lives of so many people across multiple generations. He made a point of always helping anyone with whatever he could, never second-guessing his decisions. He will be missed by all who knew him.
Copy credit to the Hockey Writers’ Club with elaboration by The Hockey Museum.
With thanks to Mike Haymonds.
