June 17, 1936 – February 9, 2026

Kenneth Edgar Whitcomb, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, passed away peacefully at home in South Lake Tahoe on February 9 after a two-year fight with bladder cancer. He was 89 years old.

He was the son of Clarence Elmer and Irene Isabelle Whitcomb, and the younger brother of Charles, aka Chuck. Ken is survived by his wife of 65 years Mary Lou, daughters Julie McMillan (Bobby), Erin-Kate Whitcomb (Michele Rutherford), and four grandsons (Sean McMillan, Kenneth McMillan, Parker Whitcomb, and Hayden Whitcomb). In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Chuck, and eldest daughter, Pati.

Ken was born in San Francisco, grew up in Noe Valley, and later moved to Menlo Park, attending Menlo Atherton High School where he played varsity football and enlisted in the US Marine Corps. He graduated from SJSU in 1960 with a BA in Recreation. After a few early work roles, Ken spent 38 years as the legendary, beloved social studies teacher at Crocker Middle School in Hillsborough, CA. In 2001, he and Mary Lou moved to South Lake Tahoe, where their families had enjoyed the fresh air and outdoors for decades.

Ken was dubbed by friends as “St. Kenneth of the Flea Market” due to his avid collecting and swapping of military memorabilia. He was committed to getting up in the wee hours to get to markets, gun shows, and garage sales as early as possible, oftentimes before the sun came up.

Ken acted in theatrical productions in several performance venues in South Lake Tahoe, including multiple productions at the Lake Tahoe Community College and the Boathouse at Valhalla. He had a unique style that could elicit laughter from even the most resistant audience!

A celebration of life will be held at Valhalla Grand Hall in South Lake Tahoe on Sunday, May 3, at 2:00.