On March 19, 2024, Kenneth Joseph Ceroky went to his eternal home to be with his Savior. Although it was very unexpected, he went peacefully.

Our father Ken was born June 1st, 1946, in Chardon Ohio. He spent his childhood days in Huntsburg, Ohio. Growing up in the country cultivated a love for the outdoors and nature. As a boy he enjoyed spending his time hunting and fishing with his dogs. Most of his adult life was spent in Chardon in a house he built with the help of his father-in-law.

Ken attended Cardinal Schools in Middlefield, Ohio and graduated in 1964. He continued his education at Kent State University where he studied and graduated with honors earning a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences, with a minor in Mathematics. He later went on to earn a Master’s degree in Education.

When Ken was 16 years old, his life changed forever when he saw the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He was smitten immediately and told his sisters who were with him at church, that the girl he was going to marry had just walked through the doors. Six years and many fairs, movies, and dates later he got his wish. On August 17, 1968, he married his sweetheart, June (Gingrich) Ceroky. After 55 years of marriage, Ken would tell you that his love and devotion for June grows stronger with each passing day.

Ken could have been anything he wanted. He had an exceptional appetite for knowledge and learning and a need to share that knowledge. While he could have gone in any direction, he chose to pursue education. The evolving field of Biology fulfilled his love of learning and his desire to educate, but it didn’t end there. Ken wanted to help young people achieve whatever their goals were and guide them in the direction to be their best selves. This crossed over to sports where he coached Baseball, Volleyball, Wrestling, Track, and Football. His passion for helping people achieve is evident in his 39-year legacy of successful students and athletes. He will forever be remembered for his crucial role in leading young people to be their best in every endeavor.

Following Ken’s retirement from teaching, his love of people and connection led him to his latest endeavor: driving for the Amish community. He provided service to the community for the last 10 years. More than a job, he felt he was providing a needed service to the new friends he made along the way. He was received in such a loving manner that he committed to driving until his unexpected passing.

At the very core of who Ken was, what gave him his devoted love for people, his great thirst for truth, and his strong work ethic to do everything to the best of his ability was his deep love for his God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Raised in a Christian home, attending Huntsburg Baptist Church and the Christian Missionary Alliance Church in Claridon during his growing years, he gave his heart to Jesus at the early age of seven. Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” He spent his life sharing that truth, the simplicity of God’s offer of salvation, feeling it so vitally important for people to understand that it’s purely grace given and not earned or lost with good or bad behavior. He was an avid student of the Bible, leaving behind bookshelves filled with notes on what he learned. Numerous lives were affected with the knowledge he shared and the encouragement he gave people to not just take his word for it, but to study their Bibles. He did this through years of Sunday School teaching, countless Bible study groups, and conversations with people. Ken “fought a good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith”.

He will be missed by all of those he touched, but most of all by his family; his beloved wife June, daughter Jacqueline Anne (Ceroky) Burton, son-in-law Robert Burton, son Kenneth Owen Paul Ceroky, daughter-in-law Cindy Ceroky, 6 grandchildren Joshua (Jaclyn) Burton, Andrew (Wynter) Burton, Caleb Burton, Evelyn Burton, Bleu Ceroky, Kylie Ceroky, 5 great-grandchildren Elysia, Jonah, Matthias, Luanna, and Annwyn Burton, and his sister Carol Jean (Ceroky) Cooper, and his mother-in-law Hester Gingrich and family. He joined his parents Joseph and Violet Ceroky, and sister Virginia (Ceroky) Tincher in heaven.

Visitation will be held at Burr Funeral Home, 116 South Street, Chardon, Ohio on Sunday, March 24, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., with the Funeral Service beginning at 4:00 p.m.  A Private Family Burial will be held at Huntsburg Township Cemetery.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Burr Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Chardon, Ohio. Condolences and memories may be shared online at www.burrservice.com

For those unable to attend in person, the service will be livestreamed on the funeral home website www.burrservice.com. Simply by going to the obituary page and click the WATCH SERVICE button on the obituary page.