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Kenneth William Barstow, 86, of Clinton passed away on May 5.

Ken Barstow was a man of impeccable taste, and he’d be the first to tell you his taste was all in his mouth. He had a magic hand when it came to making Crème Puffs, and he delighted in using every pot and utensil when it was his night to cook dinner. He developed his fondness and creativity for all things culinary as he and Marcy traveled to different duty stations and different countries over the course of their 63 years together.

Ken loved being on and near the water; 22-plus years in the Navy accommodated that love, but he navigated ships, French canal barges, and motorboats with equal dexterity. While onboard ship, Ken took up pen and ink sketching and, in later years, became very adept at watercolor drawings. Holiday cards were of his creation over the past decade or more.

To know Ken was to know a bad joke. He was never without. A true introvert, he used humor to make himself more comfortable around people. He was always quick with a pun and had a large repertoire tucked away to bring out for any occasion. He loved to make people laugh, though often the responses resembled groans. Ken’s biggest joys were his family and friends. He used to say that a party didn’t start until after he arrived, before that it was just a gathering of people.

Ken leaves behind an enormous gathering of people, and parties will never be the same. In addition to his adored wife Marcy, he leaves a void in the lives of his daughters, Julia (Ray) Deptula, Wendy (Dan) Lewis, and Ann (Jimmy) Head; his grandchildren Tyler, Teddy, Tucker, Allie, Elizabeth, Sam, and Nick; great-grandchildren Dottie, Francie, Veda, Susannah, and Rhys; his brother Richard; his sister Kathleen McLaurin; and dear friends of more than 50 years, Bruce, Susan, Jen, and Steven Lighty.

Anchors aweigh, KB. “Until we meet again, here’s wishing you a happy voyage home.”

Burial will be private.