Kenneth “Kenney” Whitcomb

On October 10, 1992, Kenney and Tina married and spent 31 wonderful years together. He was known as Ken, Kenney, and Dad, but was most proud of his title as “Paha” by his grandson.

Kenney’s love of becoming a firefighter was sparked as he attended runs alongside his father, who served as a member of the Lawrence Volunteer Fire Department. He had an extraordinary 30-year career with the City of Lawrence Fire Department starting off as a volunteer in 1982, then proudly becoming a career firefighter/EMT in 1989 earning the position of Engineer until his retirement in September 2010.

In 1995, Kenney joined Indiana Task Force-1 Urban Search & Rescue Team as the Logistics Specialist.

He was deployed to many natural disasters, including the attacks on September 11, 2001. Upon the arrival of the IN-TF1 Search and Rescue Team in New York City, he served as the Logistics Manager/Specialist during their 10-day deployment.

Kenney loved to stay busy so when he was not at the firehouse or at the task force, he enjoyed working with the fire safety crew at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the summers and spent most winters plowing snow. Kenney was a Master Mason with the Oakland Masonic Lodge 140. His lifelong dedication to serving his community continued beyond his retirement when Kenney began working at Lawrence Township School District as a Safety & Security officer in the Fall of 2016 and loved working with the students.

At the age of 7, Kenney was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes which he was able to successfully manage for the entirety of his life. He passed after he developed end stage renal disease along with other medical complications but never let it affect the time he spent with family.

He enjoyed woodworking and was always building and fixing things around the house. His last project was dedicated to his family, which was an enclosed back patio that he worked endlessly on with his son for them to enjoy. Kenney wanted to take his camper out whenever he could to meet up with friends and hang out. He would help anyone in need and was happy to do so. If anybody needed a to borrow a tool, they knew they could count on him. He always had a Diet Mt. Dew with him, a pocketknife, and a pocket full of change. Kenney always walked around humming or singing a song and always had a smile on his face.