Kenneth " Ken " Grubenhoff

Ken Grubenhoff was born at home in Toppenish, WA, to Katherine Schnellbach and Erwin Grubenhoff on November 6, 1937. He was the fifth of seven children: Dick (Betty), Laurie MacDonald (Jack), Don (Carmen), Harold (Bev), and twins born on Ken’s eighth birthday, Diana Weden (Ray), and Dennis (Kathy). Ken’s family later moved to Zillah, WA, where they had a small fruit farm. Although Ken wasn’t fond of helping with farm work, he relished rural life, the close relationships with his large family and his beautiful home state.

Ken preferred using his brain over his hands. He loved history, geography and foreign languages imagining the far-off places he read about. After graduating from high school, he spent the fall helping on the farm and then enlisted in the US Army where he trained as a cryptographer. There his adventures began. His first assignment was in Asmara, Eritrea, Ethiopia. followed by an assignment in Karlsruhe, Germany. While stationed in Europe, he traveled from Finland to Spain and in between. After discharge he enrolled at Seattle U. majoring in Spanish, graduating summa cum laude. Between his sophomore and junior years Ken was selected to participate in Operation Crossroads Africa, engaged in a service project with African and American students. The summer prior to his college graduation, Ken was a U.S. State Department intern and was called upon by then Secretary of State Dean Rusk to run the cryptography machine during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He earned a Fulbright scholarship for a year’s study at the University of Madrid.  Returning from his studies abroad, Ken received an NDEA Fellowship to pursue a master’s degree in Latin American Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

During his studies for a PhD in Spanish, he met Martie Smart, and proposed just two months later. After marrying, they moved to Denver, CO where Ken was an assistant professor of Spanish at DU. While Ken loved teaching, he found other aspects of university life distasteful and left DU to turn his hobby of buying and selling antiques into a career. In 1982, he opened Glass Roots, specializing in Depression Era glassware. He used his teaching skills to educate his customers about the history and manufacture of their purchases. Ken closed Glass Roots in 2007 after 25 successful years but continued doing shows as recently as last October.

Ken used his vast knowledge of antiques to volunteer at La Cache, a resale shop benefitting Children’s Hospital. Ken and Martie shared a love of travel spending time exploring the US, Europe, and Central America.

Ken could recount history with ease, locate remote places on any map and was an (almost) unbeatable Scrabble player.

To Ken, family was paramount. He relished his role as husband to Martie. He was a proud father to sons Joe and John and welcomed daughters-in-law Cindy and Mary Beth as if they were his own daughters. He also enjoyed being “Papa” to his grandchildren, Jessie, Caleb and Asher. Ken was surrounded by his loving family in his final days and remarked at one point that it was one of the best weeks of his life. Kind, smart, compassionate, insightful, and humble describe the man who nurtured his family and friends. His impact will live on through the many people he touched.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a gift in memory of Ken Grubenhoff to one of the following:

Children’s Hospital Colorado - https://www.supportchildrenscolorado.org

Seattle University (Faculty Salaries) - https://www.seattleu.edu/giving/

Boulder County Wildfire Fund (Marshall Fire Victims) - https://www.coloradogives.org/bouldercountywildfirefund?step=step1

Slideshow photos can be viewed here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/V8NaRU7y1qu42yGc8

Please note: some family and friends may choose to wear something green (Ken’s favorite color) to the funeral.

The Funeral Mass and the Committal Ceremony will both be livestreamed.

Please click on the link below for both Services.

https://bxcited.com/kenneth-grubenhoff/