View Full Version : Ken Taylor has passed - Please Read
stevesemerko
10-04-03, 02:51 PM
Yesterday a good friend of mine passed away. Ken Taylor was an avid herper and bred some of the most beautiful snakes I have ever seen. Ken was the one who helped me out with my first pair of snakes when I decided to start pursuing this hobby more seriously. Ken was always there for me if I had a question or needed help medicating a sick snake but he was also there if I needed someone to just talk to. Ken Helped me through a lot of stuff. I found out Ken had passed when I went to his house to return a container he let me use to transport my new pair of Apricot Pueblan's that I purchased off him the day before and that is what made it the hardest for me because I talked to him before he died but I guess I should be thankful that I got to see him one last time. I would like anyone who has met Ken or known him for awhile(even if you haven't met him if you could pay your respects it would be greatly appreciated) to please post your memories, stories or anything you can think of about Ken Taylor.
Thank You Everyone
Steve Semerko
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1782KenTaylor.jpg
RIP Ken Taylor
As a tribute to my friend I have also decided to name my Apricot's Ken(or Kenny) and Taylor so I will always have something to remember him by.
Even though I don't know after reading your post, he's got to be a nice guy and a great friend of yours.
I wish him the best where ever he is and will seek happyness for ever.
RIP Ken Taylor
What !!...No way, How did he die???? Ride In Peace BRO.....from RRMC1%
stevesemerko
10-04-03, 03:09 PM
Chas*e: He had cancer of the larynx and I think that might have been what caused it.
OMG! No! I knew I should have called to find out when he told us he was going for checks cos they suspected cancer in his throat and he didn't call for months after that. I still remember how he was telling us about his breakup and how he's hanging in there. But now I feel wretched that I couldn't have spoken to him after he found about his cancer being confirmed.
Ken was the kinda guy who stuck with what he believed in and maybe protected it somewhat fiercely. But his heart was always in a good place when it came to his animals. We shared his interest with NA colubrids, especially, hogs, coastal plain milks and eastern milks. I wish I had got to know him more as we had only started talking over the phone after his breakup. Wish we had had a chance to meet him in person. But I guess that's never gonna happen.
Even though I never got to speak with you again after that last call Ken, me and Katt won't forget you. Hope there's enough eastern milks up there buddy. RIP BIG KEN.
chameo_liz
10-04-03, 03:19 PM
Ken was a very good guy and the herp community will miss him.
Kris
Oh gosh.. I am very sorry to hear that. Ken was a great guy, always full of stories. The herp community has lost a valuable member.
honduranfreekk
10-04-03, 03:33 PM
Ken was one of those guy,s who protected what he believed in 100% and will be veryyyyyyyyy sadly missed bye allot of ppl.I have known Ken for a few year,s and the last time we spoke he told me he could see it coming.He was and still is one hell of a guy Rest in peace my brother and ride free you will be missed dearly.
beth wallbank
10-04-03, 03:34 PM
I spoke with Ken up to his last three weeks, and he was in good spirits and still full of gags and jokes. Our prayers are with you Ken. RIP
PortCreditPets
10-04-03, 03:51 PM
Our thoughts are with you Kenny....
For those that didnt know Kenny he was simply a great guy all around. He was there whenever we needed anything and his efforts within the reptile hobby were unmeasurable. He will be missed and always remembered.
Grant
Chris "rock star"
Wayne
Jeff
and the rest of the guys here
The first time i spoke with Ken wasn't very pleasent, but we settled our problems and spoke on a few occasions after that to which he was nothing but pleasent to speak with and always willing to help with any questions i had.. From the little bit that i spoke with him i gathered that he was a great person and very passionate in everything he enjoyed.. My Thoughts are with you and your family Ken!!
Corey Woods
10-04-03, 04:01 PM
Well I must say that I am shocked at this news! Kenny was a great guy and he will surely be missed. I have known Ken for about 6 years and he was one of the nicest people out their.
In fact just the other day I was thinking that I hadn't talked to Ken in a while and I was going to give him a call. But having 2 full time jobs and a life on top of that doesn't give you much time to do everything that you want to do. Now I am very sorry I didn't make that call!
I talked to Clint and Andrea Gilders a couple minutes ago and Andrea informed me that Ken did not have throat cancer (which Ken had told me a couple months ago). At this point they don't know what happend to him but they suspect his heart gave out as he was always had heart problems. Funeral arrangements are being arranged for Tuesday Oct 7th.
Rest is Peace!
Corey
Removed_2815
10-04-03, 04:16 PM
Ken was very vocal of his opinions and he ALWAYS cut to the chase with absolutely no bull (how could you not admire that?). On more than a few occasions he came to my defense on the ksnake forums and I have always had a strong reverence toward him. I had seen him a few weeks ago while I was visiting family in Peterborough but I didn't get a chance to talk.
He will be greatly missed.
Respectfully,
Ryan
I never met Ken, but from all your comments it sounds like it was my loss.
I didn't know Ken, but he sounds like he was a great person. Good people always die too early. My condolences.
Ken was a great guy and very well respected in the herp comunity, Rest in peace bud!
TheRedDragon
10-04-03, 06:27 PM
I never knew Ken, but I extend my condolences. He sounded like he was a wonderful guy. RIP Ken.
Hi
I just wanted to share my sense of loss with you all as well. Ken was a great friend to my husband, Clint.
To extend what Corey said earlier, Ken and his drs were quite certain that he had throat cancer earlier this year but the tests came back negative to everyone's surprise, he was clear. The funeral will be on Tuesday at Comstocks in Peterborough for anyone who needs to know that.
He is survived by his 7 children incuding Joey, Ken Jr, Wyatt and Raven as well as several grandchildren.
He was always colourful, always loud and always had your back. We will miss him.
I never know what to say on threads like this. Words can not explain the shock and sadness I feel right now.
For many years I knew of Ken through his reputation and his dedication to all things herp. I did have the chance to meet Ken earlier this year and what a guy! That's a trip I'll never forget. He welcomed me into his home, we had some beers and we shared some funny stories. What I'll always remember about Ken is his immeasurable knowledge on North American snake species.
He will be missed. My condolences go out to his family and friends.
Trace
Jungle Jen
10-04-03, 07:41 PM
RIP Ken
My sincere condolences to your family and friends
Jungle Jen
Stockwell
10-04-03, 08:07 PM
Oh No..,
this is just about as bad as it gets people..
Being an old schooler, it hardly feels dignified to respond in this way, but then Ken met and had lots of friends on-line.
Kenny, which only I got away with calling him (Big Ken to most of you)
was a terrific guy! He enjoyed life and lived life to the fullest
He fought for what he beleived in and what he thought was right, and we should all remember... Kenny had excellent morals
and he had the "right idea" about, herping and life in general.
I considered him a colleage, a great all round guy
a great breeder, and a fantastic contributor to Canadian Herpetoculture.
He fostered and supported the new kids,(you know who you are) and was never afraid to back up his feelings....
We've lost someone very special
Fondest regards..
roy
Gillards
10-04-03, 09:08 PM
We will all miss Ken. He was a great person. Never any BS and never held anything back. He was as real as it gets.
We will miss you Ken!!!!!!!!
Paul, Lorraine and Family
Tim_Cranwill
10-04-03, 10:34 PM
Man... I only dealt with him once and he was an absolute pleasure to deal with. My condolences to his family and friends.
Retic chic
10-04-03, 10:51 PM
We read the post when it was fresh, and then went out herping in memory of Ken.
When we were new to the hobby, he introduced himself to us fairly quickly. I was always amazed how much we had in common, inside and outside of herping.
For 3 months, we have been meaning to call him - hadn't heard from him lately. Katt, Vanan, and us were going to phone him together, to tell him he needed to come out to look at the bullsnakes with us.
For as tough a guy as he was, he sure was helpfull and friendly.
He took my constant jokes about his age very well, and even though I probably went over the line a few times, not once did he get offended.
If Ken can read this "looks like I'm winning the pituophis competition now, eh Kenny"
Even though we never met him in person, we will really miss him.
Ryan and Sheila
I only knew of Ken through the stories of others and by his reputation but everything i've heard has always been positive. I wish I could have met him as I believe he would have been a great friend to have.
RIP Ken
Scales Zoo
10-04-03, 11:06 PM
Oops, sent one from Retic chic.
Sheila and I also wanted to send our condolences to all Kens family and good friends.
If Ken's passing saddens us this much, I can't imagine how much the people who really knew him well must feel.
Rest In Peace big Ken, we will miss you
Ryan and Sheila
ScreamingMisfit
10-04-03, 11:18 PM
RIP Big Ken
ken helped me out on several ocasions with everything to advice on substrate to medical treatment that saved the life of 5 rescued snakes i got in one time ...you won't find too many people with the knowledge and know how as BigKen
as i don't believe in good bys i will say see you later bro and thanks for everything
your friend
Mr.Man
stewart
10-05-03, 12:28 AM
I was shocked to hear that Ken has passed away. I had been planning to give him a call this week since we hadn't talked in a while. I have many great memories of chatting with him after the shows and spending time at his place photographing his animals.
I know he'll be missed by the herping community.
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/114ken2.jpg(Ken at the Annual Ride for Critters fundraiser for the local Humane Society.)
My condolences to his family and friends.
Stewart Stick
Oh man was this a shock! I only talked to him through emails and not for a while now. My condolences to his family and friends :(
stevesemerko
10-05-03, 02:18 AM
Ken will truly be missed. I feel as though I have lost one of the best friends I have ever had. I knew Ken for awhile when I was just a wee lad and then I had lost contact with him when my family moved to Port Hope and then when we moved back to Peterborough and I decided to pursue the herp hobby more seriously I stumbled accross Ken's Website and gave him a call. When I met him for the first time(well second) I was a little scared to tell the truth. But after talking with him I was quickly put at ease. I owe a lot of my knowledge of snakes to Ken and I have always looked up to him as a herper and a friend. I feel however that I have betrayed that friend because today I went to change the water in my cages when I realized that I had accidentaly left the lid on one of my new pueblan's cage partially open and she got out. I feel really bad because the pueblans have a sentimental value to remind me of Ken and now one of them is gone. I hope I find her alive and well.
Ken, you will always be my friend and my mentor, and as always an inspiration. I'll miss you man.
My condolences go out to Ken's family and friends.
Steve Semerko
BoidKeeper
10-05-03, 06:07 AM
I wish I had had an opertunaty to meet Big Ken.
My first experience with Ken was on KS. I'll never forget it. He racked me back and forth over the coals because I said something positive about Steve Erwin.lol I never took it personally and Ken answered many of my post back then. I seemed like a nice guy when he wasn't putting you in your place. ha ha.
To all his friends and familly, I'm deeply sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you as well as Big Ken.
Best wishes to all of you,
Trevor
RIP kenny taylor you will be missed.
Words can not express the great loss Canadian Herpetoculture is feeling right now.
I'll be holding onto my Ken Taylor stock with a tight fist from now on.
Thank you Ken for everything.
RIP Ken Taylor. It saddens me to hear about the loss of such a cherished and admirable person. My condolensces go out to his family and friends.
daver676
10-05-03, 10:05 AM
I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Taylor, but from what I've been reading, the herp community has lost an amazing person. My condolences to his family and friends.
Dave and Barb
gargoyle
10-05-03, 10:22 AM
Ken was also a good friend of mine. He is solely responsible for me getting into herps. But even though this does hurt that he is gone if anyone on this thread has ever talked with him about anything other than herps you'd know that he lived a good life (for the most part). I think we should all be focusing on the good times that we can remember about him. Ken was always ther for me when I had a question and freely offered his knowledge. Ken also was a very generous person as I remember a few years ago when he gave me hell for coming to visit (five hour drive) and renting a motel room for the night instead of staying with him. These are the things that I'll always remember about Ken.
Invictus
10-05-03, 10:39 AM
I never met or knew Ken Taylor, but he seems to have really touched a lot of lives, and it's weird, but I'm feeling a great pain right now, possibly just from getting choked up from all the comments here. I deeply regret never having met this guy. RIP "Big Ken"
-Not so big Ken
Oh wow :eek: I've been sitting here speechless trying to come up with some sort of reply. I cannot come up with anything that seems appropriate enough. Ken was a huge part of the Canadian herp scene, he helped so many people and contributed a lot to the hobby. He was a great guy... and will be deeply missed by many. My condolences to his family :(
Markus Jayne
10-06-03, 11:08 AM
We managed to bust up a few frauds and scam artists in our day.
I bid you farewell SherloKEN!
Faithfully yours,
Whatson
Turtle Matt
10-06-03, 12:33 PM
This is truly a sad loss to all of us..I will always remember when he offered to help me in picking up some turtles from Toronto free of charge,and I'll always remember fishing out his feeder goldfish for his oscars when he would come into Animali where I work...Hopefully his animals will also go to very good homes where breeding will continue. He had alot of interesting species, and I was lucky enough one time to visit with Ken and getthe grand tour.
Res In Peace Kenny!!
Matt
Classic
10-06-03, 12:48 PM
Sad, Sad, Sad.....
casacrow
10-06-03, 01:05 PM
Kenny was the only person that had the patience with me in my years starting out. He helped me breed balls and veilds when I had no clue what I was doing. He taught me everything from probing a new snake to breeding mealworms. I also gathered my first hot experiences through Kenny and purchased or was given many herps from Ken. When things started getting rough I felt great when he asked me to take some herps off his hands due to his time restraints. I must say that I have no idea who I will turn to with my questions, but value the knowledge learned greatly. I quess the thing that amazed me most about about Kenny was that he never knocked me for parking my little Honda in his driveway. He always told me that it was alright 'cause once we got on the pavement his "boared out hog would blow the f!@#ing doors off my bike"lol.
Thanks Kenny for the good times and great stories-I am sure you will ruffle a few feathers up there----------DONNY
Cerastes
10-06-03, 04:44 PM
My thoughts are with Charlene, Raven, Bry, Clint, and Andrea.
Respectfully...
Steve
anacondaman
10-06-03, 08:07 PM
I don know him... but any man that kept and bred reptiles is a friend on my account!
RIP Ken and I wish his family all the best
paul_le_snake
10-10-03, 08:23 PM
i was truly shocked when i heard the sad news. i first met ken when he bought a male macki from reptilia. i was lucky enough to be working that day. he told me that if i ever needed anything to call him. the 2 times i did call him he was half way through a tatoo! that still didnt stop him answering my questions. he always knew it was me when i called because he told me i was the only english guy he knew. i'll always remeber ken for his straight talking no nonsense aproach to life. if more people were like him, the world would be a better place.
cheers
paul
the general
10-14-03, 09:19 PM
I never met Ken but he sounds like my kind of guy!
Invictus - I too am feeling pain now for many reasons. I am just posting to say how nice it is to see so much goodwill and thanks on this thread. This really is a great comunity!
RIP Ken. My thoughts are with you and your loved ones,
Pete
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