Birth date: Oct 10, 1956 Death date: Sep 24, 2021
Kenneth Hudson, 64 years of Dallas, Texas, was born on October 10, 1956, in Birmingham, Alabama to Mary Bell and John Henry Hudson. He passed away on September 24, 2021. He married Kerstin Hudson on May 22, 2002, in Germany and be Read Obituary
First, I want to send prayers of comfort to Kerstin, Andrew & the Hudson family. Posting my memories of Big Kenny hurts with the reality I will not get to see or speak to him again. I met Big Ken at Soesterberg, NL, we were both Security Police working swings & mids together. We also had our days off together & we enjoyed times venturing various places in the Netherlands. It was funny that if one of us found a new place to go, we couldn’t wake to take the other to check it out. Big Ken & I both loved having in-depth conversations ranging from sports, politics & music. Unfortunately, Soesterberg Air Base got closed & we went our separate ways but kept in touch. Ken met the love of his life, Kerstin, I remember him telling me, “She’s the one!” I was happy he found his soulmate. Then they had Drew, again he was so happy & proud. The next thing I knew Ken told me he had been in the hospital & almost died, but when he saw the light, he said, “I have to see his son grow up” & he remembered coming back. That was DEEP! My wife & I visited Ken & Kerstin in Germany & my wife was impressed how friendly they were & told me they were great friends to have. Ken & family left Germany & moved to Georgia, living maybe an hour from where I grew up. My Mom was celebrating her 80th birthday & I invited Big Ken & family to come. We had an AWESOME time. Sadly this was the last time I saw Big Ken. Occasionally we would speak & keep in touch through Facebook. Big Ken, I Salute you for your service “Defensor Fortis”. You will always live in my heart & mind. Rest In Peace my Brother.
Kenny was my cousin and my childhood memories of him are pleasant. I remember several years ago when Kenny was living in Germany but was in the states visiting. We hadn't seen each other in years but he got in touch. I got to meet Kirsten and Andrew, who was very young at the time. My husband and I met them at a restaurant and Kenny invited us to visit them in Germany. He was so nice. He assured us that we would be welcome and that we'd have a blast. That's how I'll remember him...as a nice, friendly and generous man. Rest in peace, cuz.❤️
I met Kenny in Holland. We would hang out at some of the same places. He was hard to miss and very well liked. We would feel safe when he was around and you would feel comfortable. We had a long friendship. 35 years. When I met Kerstin I felt like I got a friendship with her too pretty much instantaneously. When we were living in Dallas and he was visiting Dallas at the time, Edgar and I met up with him at his sister Cynthia’s place. In 2010 when I first joined Facebook we became Facebook friends and kept up with one another that way. This past year and a half we have been talking so much in messenger about politics and racism and the state of the world and it was so meaningful for both of us. Because we were both grappling with some of these issues… Our friend ship only got stronger. We had a few phone calls during that time as well. I’m very grateful for the privilege I have had to have had him as my friend. My heart is broken. And my heart and my prayers go out to Kerstin and Andrew and Cynthia and Lamar.
Lit a candle in memory of Kenneth Hudson
For years Kenny and I had a friendship while in Holland. We hung out at the same places where everybody would party and just have fun and have good times. You could never miss him when he was around and we always felt safe when he was around. I had the pleasure of meeting Kerstin and developing a friendship there too. He was so happy with his married life and then getting their son on top of that. Though I never got to meet Andrew in person. Edgar and I got a chance to visit Kenny once when he was visiting here in Dallas and hanging out with his sister Cynthia at the time quite many years ago. Starting in 2020 this past year we continuously talked via messenger. About politics, racism, current events… we had many many dialogues. We talked on the phone a few times. We had grown a lot closer once again because the current events were bothering both of us tremendously and I always felt talking to him helped put things in perspective. These past few months we talked less because America had settled down a little bit. I think losing Kenny is a loss for the world… as for me personally it’s a heartbreak 💔 and my heart is with you Kerstin and Andrew… because I can’t even imagine… I will cherish having known him and the memories and the value he added to my life. He was such a gentle giant. It is safe to say I am a better person for having had him as my friend.
Berny Killingsworth
All the way through Air Base Ground Defense School and M-60 School, in 1981, and on to our first assignments at Minot Air Force Base, Ken kept me from quitting when my will was low. This pic was the last time we hung out about 3 years agi in San Antonio. He stayed at my house and wouldn't shut up. Up most of the night running our mouths like we were back in tech school. It was only 40 years ago but it felt like it was last week. Love that giant of a brother. My prayers and thoughts are with you all for your great loss. Stay Blessed Family. 🙏🏽☝️🏿
Dear Kerstin and Andrew,
Andrea and I are very saddened to hear about Ken’s passing.
The “Lebenslauf” you wrote does justice to your gentle, good humored giant, but I’d like to expand to the period we had the pleasure of knowing him and having him as a member of our team.
On the personal side, he always beamed both in your presence and when speaking of you, but was almost intolerable when Andrew came along:). He was one proud dad and husband!
My first exposure to Ken was when he came to us with his Base Ops colleagues to build the first flight dispatch operation for the USAF in 1999 at the USAFE AMOCC. He was probably the most skeptical of all at what we wanted to achieve, but as we progressed forward, he became the rock upon which I leaned to keep the mission running smoothly and prove our concept. Whenever you see a USAF airlift or tanker aircraft these days, you can thank Ken for the groundwork laid to manage their movements worldwide.
It wasn’t until years later at Robins when he shared what he’d done to keep the surface of the water smooth, some of it unprintable in this forum, but I’m very thankful for his tact, diplomacy, and leadership. He came across sometimes as the big teddy bear, but could he ever put the hammer down, and because most of our new dispatchers were very young, he mentored them to keep them on track and produced a group of fine, successful group of fledgling flight dispatchers. Almost all members of the initial cadre reaped the benefits of our success, due in large part to the work Ken did to manage the personnel and mission execution issues so we could concentrate on showing that the concept was and is viable. Thank you one last time, Ken.
Those were fun times, made even better by Ken’s hearty laugh and good natured demeanor. Work was work, but his life was you, Kerstin and Andrew. I’m very grateful for the time we had together. Godspeed. Tom Manley, Col, USAF (Ret)
