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Ken Ziegenfuss: A Life Well Lived
I learned a few days ago of Ken’s passing on July 19, 2024 from his
brother Fritz ’61. I’ve known Ken since about 1948 when we lived in
Aztec Villa, near what is now the Sports Arena. He was incredibly bright and a highly-talented piano player
from an early age. He was encouraged by his father George, who was
varsity basketball coach at State, but who also appreciated classical
music. Ken skipped a year, I think, jumping from 7th to 9th grade at
Horace Mann. After graduating from Crawford he went to Stanford, not
sure whether he’d major in math or music. He picked music, graduated in
1966, and then went on to earn an MFA in music at Stanford. Ken
continued to play piano very seriously until Parkinson’s made it
impossible. Fritz said, in 2012, Ken gave a wonderful recital of 24
Chopin Etudes. I remember attending one of Ken’s recitals which included
Debussy’s Feux d’artifice “Fireworks”. I had it on an LP, performed by
the great Robert Casadesus. I liked Ken’s version much better — Bob Richardson ’61 (March 16, 2024)
This lovely color photo was taken on the
Mission Beach boardwalk at the foot of Lido Court in 1966 by Bob Richardson. Even then there were idiots in the
background trying to ruin the shot. Pictured are Bob’s boyhood pal Ken
Ziegenfuss, who had just graduated from Stanford with a major in music,
and Bob’s wife Carole Smithson Richardson. Carole and Bob
graduated in 1961, and Ken a year later. Carole passed away on
March 21, 2001 and Ken
died last year on July 19, 2024. I assume the sleeping dog has passed
away as well. Little baby Ian Richardson (you probably didn't notice him
in the white hat) is an attorney in Eugene, Oregon.
Pictures from a 1953 Christmas Party
From the September 9, 1958 San Diego Union
From the May 21, 1961 San Diego Union
Bob Richardson says:
I was looking for items about Ken in the Union-Tribune archives and
came across the article above from May 21, 1961. I recognized the photo
as one I took at the request of Ken’s mother Jean. I dug out the
negative, scanned it, and cropped it tight as in the Union version. (Scan to the bottom to learn how a professional photographer avoids pesky reflections off eyeglass lenses)
From the June 10, 1962 Evening Tribune
Ken's entry in the 1962 Centaur
Bob Richardson says:I believe I took the lenses out of Ken's glasses. No reflections. Reflect on that! (Had I tried that, I'd still be trying to get the lenses back in with a jeweler's screwdriver -- JF)
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