Kenneth "Ken" Paul Koons

Kenneth Paul Koons, 71, of Warrington, passed away on November 26, 2022 surrounded by his wife and children, after a beautiful Thanksgiving holiday where Ken toasted his loving family.

Ken, the third of four children, was born to Paul and Evelyn Koons in Canton, Ohio on November 15, 1951. In seventh grade he moved to Pennsylvania, where he attended Pennsbury public schools. Upon graduation, he headed down south to study engineering at Clemson University. This started a lifelong devotion to Clemson’s football team and their signature purple and orange. He regularly listened to the Clemson fight song Tiger Rag, adorned his home with Clemson paraphernalia, and cheered on his Tigers from the lean years to the recent championship runs.

Ken stayed in Clemson, South Carolina, where he ran his own heating and air conditioning company. He returned to Pennsylvania when his mother fell ill, and took a job with Drexelbrook Engineering, which changed his life in many ways. Ken moved to the Netherlands, where he opened an office for Drexelbrook, and traveled all over Europe and Asia throughout the next four years. While at Drexelbrook, he met Cindy, who was an accountant and had four children. Their relationship began in 1993 across an ocean via fax, and was affectionately referred to as the “fax romance.”

In 1996, Ken and Cindy married. While most 44-year-old bachelors would shy away from taking on four children (including two teenagers), Ken loved them as his own since day one—and they him. Shortly thereafter, Ken welcomed his mother-in-law under their roof, as was typical of his nature. A skilled builder, Ken converted the dining room into a bedroom, installing a heater and building a huge closet to make sure his mother-in-law felt at home.

In 2001, Ken bought JBR Associates, an industrial screen printing and engraving business. Through his hard work, he significantly grew the company over the next twenty years. Rory, his son and fellow engineer, worked alongside Ken for the last five years and will continue his legacy.

Of the many jobs Ken held over the years, he took the jobs of husband, dad, and “Pa” most seriously. He was a devoted Pa to his six grandchildren, never missing a soccer game, dance recital, trip to Disney World, school event, or even an outing to the American Girl Cafe in New York City. From school drop-offs and mini-golf outings to Lego building projects and at-home chess competitions, Pa was a constant source of joy in his grandchildren’s lives.

Anyone who knew Ken thought of him as a kind, good-hearted gentleman with a dry sense of humor. He consistently thought of others before himself, and was always willing to help anyone, whether with home repairs, schoolwork, or advice. Despite being able to speak at length about almost any topic—from street food in Singapore to building a bathroom from the ground up, Ken always said he was a “Jack of all trades but a master of none.” This is just one example of his humble and self-effacing manner.

While the family was devastated by Ken’s lung cancer diagnosis, during the ensuing six months they were able to appreciate life with Ken more fully, cherishing special moments spent with family.

He will be sorely missed by his wife Cindy (Yurasko) Koons; his children, Jenn Stratis (Nick), Chris Staub (Lauren), Rory “Young Man” Staub (Ruth), Betsy “Cuteness” Staub (Greg); and his grandchildren, Jack “Buddy” Stratis, Julia “Precious” Stratis, Niko “Wild Man” Stratis, Matthew “Ice Man” Stratis, Alex “Curly” Stratis, and Reagan “Echo” Staub. He is also survived by his loving siblings, Sue Ellen Koons (Sandi), Bruce Koons (Cindy), and Annie Charrette-Foley (Brian), and many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank Dr. Roger Cohen and his team at Penn Medicine for their wonderful and compassionate care.

A visitation will be held at St. Robert Bellarmine Roman Catholic Church located at 856 Euclid Avenue, Warrington, PA 18976 on Sunday, December 4th from 4:00 P.M to 6:00 P.M. A second visitation will take place at the church on Monday December 5th from 10:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 A.M. at the church. Interment will take place at The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa Cemetery in Doylestown, PA.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine giving.apps.upenn.edu/find-fund?program=MC&area=MED or the Willow Grove Baptist Church Food Pantry.

For Penn Medicine, visit PennMedicine.org/Abramson/Donate, check “In Memory” under gift options,
and follow the prompts. For the Willow Grove Baptist Church Food Pantry, mail a check to 2600 Welsh
Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090 and include “In Memory of Ken Koons” in the memo.