Ken Dodge Lives On Through Us

We were all shocked and devastated by the unexpected passing of Ken Dodge on March 28, 2023, just over 24 hours after he celebrated his 55th birthday. Ken had suffered the dissection of an aortic ventricle on Feb. 17 which landed him in critical care. After a series of surgeries to correct the issue and fighting courageously back from numerous setbacks, the final surgery (which occurred a little over five weeks from the initial dissection) determined that his complications were inoperable and Ken passed with his family by his side at the hospital.

Ken was an amazingly compassionate and loving human who made all who knew him feel heard, accepted and appreciated. His intelligence and wit, along with his all-encompassing hugs, were just a few of the reasons he was beloved by his family, friends and coworkers. Ken spent his career working to advocate for and improve the lives of others with almost two decades at PCC and, in more recent years, by working for the State of Oregon’s Commission for the Blind. He thoroughly enjoyed his work and relished the impact his team had connecting job seekers who were blind with businesses seeking talent. But his first love was his family, who he would talk about every chance he could. He and his wife, Chris, had just celebrated their 29th anniversary and had known each other since middle school. And he was a proud and doting father to Mattie, 20 (a sophomore in college), and his twin hooligans, Gus and Xander, 15 (freshmen in high school).

In the few days since we lost Ken, many of you have reached out asking what you could do to help, eager to assist the family through this traumatic and unexpected loss. In these early days, it’s hard to know what all will be needed but we think the simplest and most helpful way to support the family is through contributions to this page. Ken was the primary earner in the family and, in addition to making the incomprehensible adjustment to no longer having his loving presence, it will be a financially challenging adjustment for the family, as well. With the added expenses of the medical bills, memorial costs, and adjusted income, any donations, big or small, will be helpful.

The family is working on plans for a memorial celebration of Ken’s life – when the plans are firmed up, we will be updating this page with the information and sharing it elsewhere so all who want to join are welcome. They are also collecting special photos - please select a favorite photo or two to upload, if you have some you’d like to share: Photo Collection Site.

The thought of not having Ken on this earth with us is one that is hard to fathom. Everyone who had the privilege of knowing him was better for it and felt so fortunate to have him in their lives. He really was one-of-a-kind with an empathetic and loving approach uniquely his own – we are so incredibly sorry he is no longer with us. He will live on forever in our memories and hearts, in the faces of his children, in the board games we play in his honor, and in the stars that sparkle in the sky on a dark spring night.