Bradenton Couple Dies Minutes Apart From Coronavirus
BRADENTON, FL — Friends, family and colleagues honored the memory of retired Bradenton police officer Ken Magown and his wife, Nancy, during a memorial service Saturday at Saints Peter and Paul the Apostles Catholic Church in Bradenton.
The couple died Dec. 18 “minutes apart after a hard-fought battle with COVID-19,” Bradenton police shared Sunday on Facebook.
Ken, 77, was born and raised in Massachusetts. After graduating from high school in 1960, he tried out for the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland, Florida, and was offered a professional baseball contract, according to the couple’s obituary on Legacy.com.
Yesterday, we remembered dear members of the Bradenton PD family, retired Officer Kenneth Magown, and his beloved wife,...
Posted by Bradenton Police Department on Sunday, January 24, 2021
In 1964, he joined the Army National Guard. One year later, he was sent by the Tigers to Jamestown, New York, where his baseball career ended.
He went on to serve as a Jamestown police officer, retiring from the department as lieutenant in 1985 after 20 years. Ken moved his family to Bradenton, where he worked for the Bradenton Police Department for another 20 years before retiring a second time in 2005.
He served as the department’s school resource officer and created its Kids Against Drinking & Drugs (KADD) program. He was named Officer of the Year in 1994.
Nancy, 73, was born in Jamestown and grew up in New York. After high school, she attended beauty school and worked for a salon in Jamestown before opening her own salon in the basement of her home, according to Legacy.com.
After the couple moved to Bradenton, she worked at Kmart and salons at nursing homes in the area. She also became a booster for the Pittsburg Pirates in 2003 and worked for the Bradenton Marauders in 2010.
The couple met in New York, and Ken proposed to Nancy within three weeks of their meeting in March 1967. They were married Sept. 16 of that year.
Following Ken’s retirement from the Bradenton Police Department, the couple bought an RV and traveled throughout the United States.
At Legacy.com, the couple was remembered for their kindness, openness and giving nature.
“Ken and Nancy were the most kindest hearted people I have ever met,” wrote their friend Jane Hicks. “Always had a listening ear for anyone that needed it and gave the best advice ever.”
Another friend, identified only as Mandy, wrote, “What a life-long love story ... my heart breaks for your family. Though Ken and Nancy will be missed on this Earth any who knew them have their impression left on their hearts. They were the most loving, accepting people, never shy to share their love. As a young (untraditional) family they opened their doors to us, encouraging us and showing us what unconditional love looks like.”
They are survived by their children: Bradenton police officer Kenneth Bruce "K.B." Magown II (Stacey) of Bradenton, Chris Magown (Jason Cruz) of Tampa, Julie Magown Alejos (Julian) of Bradenton and Hope Martinez (Jon) of Henderson, Nevada. They are also survived by five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and several siblings.
This article originally appeared on the Bradenton Patch
