Ken Rowe
The Kew Hockey Club has been filled with great sadness this week, at the news of the tragic loss of prominent supporter, Ken Rowe, in the bushfires in rural Victoria.
Ken was the father of Andrew and Iain, father-in-law of Kate Cromie and uncle of James Lowden, all of whom are still active and outstanding members of the senior club. It appears, like so many others, that Ken was trapped in the Marysville fire and was left with little chance to escape.
Ken’s death is a great shock to all of us, particularly those who are friendly with and have grown up playing hockey with the Rowe’s and other members of their family.
Ken or “Dr Ken” as he often referred to himself was a revered academic and a regular fixture at Kew Hockey Club games, chiefly those that involved his much-loved sons. With his trademark gum-chewing and flat-cap, Ken was easy to spot. His pattern of pacing up and down the sidelines was only interrupted when he snuck out the back for a cheeky cigarette!
His contribution to the club is not lost on its members. A former team manager at junior and senior level, Ken was a ferociously loyal supporter of his boys and our club. His passion for the club and his presence around it will be sorely missed.
As ever, the club affords its full support to Ken’s wife Cathy, her three boys David, Andrew and Iain and the extended Rowe family.
There will be a memorial service at 10:30am tomorrow (Tuesday 17th Feb) at the Wattle Park Chapel, 234 Elgar Rd, Box Hill South.
