
Ken Lacey

Kenny Lee
Since his death, we've received a stream of messages describing Ken as "a force of nature", "a people magnet", "a mentor", "the life and soul of the party" and "naughty uncle Kenny". All of these were true. He embodied the phrase "work hard, play hard".
As Ken's bard of choice, Bruce Springsteen, once said: "That's when the world is at its best, when we are at our best, when life feels fullest, one and one equals three". He wrung out enjoyment from life like it was a wet towel after a hard fought tennis match. From the US, to Venezuela, the UK and Spain, memories of Ken tell a story of someone who somehow managed to put maximum effort into family, friends, work, sport, travel, joking, philosophizing, caring, supporting, seemingly without compromise.... and it was clear that he embraced all these experiences to the fullest and would have no regrets in his life other than just not having more of it.
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I first met Ken in 1988 when he was the lead partner for Andersens working on a JIT project for Smith and Nephew in Hull. I was part of the team and based in Manchester where Ken became lead partner.
It was during this project that our first son and Ken's second child (I can't remember if son or daughter or wife's name - really sorry) were born. We would occasionally get together with our other halves and our babies. Happy memories.
I then went on to work for Ken at Smith and Nephew in Birmingham from 1989-1991. He was a great lead partner for me (now a manager). Compared to the other partners at Andersens, he was a thoroughly decent man - always putting people first. In some ways he didn't fit with the ethos of the organisation. For me, it would have been a much better place to work if there had been more Ken's in charge.
I'd like to share a story about Ken that you probably will not have heard before. I've told it to quite a few people. I hope the story is ok. I think it shows Ken in a very good light whilst grappling with his responsibilities in life.
Whilst I was progressing quite well at Andersens, I was really unhappy. I couldn't stand the lifestyle. It was always long hours, frequently away from home (or if not long commutes of 1.5 hours or more) and constant deadlines and stress, By 1991 my children were 1 and 3 years old. However, I felt trapped. We got paid well for our age and the long hours meant it was difficult to summon up the energy to find another job.
One evening at about 8pm I was driving back from Birmingham to Manchester with Ken. I decided to take a risk and discuss my predicament with him. I would not have risked doing so with any other partner, but I wholeheartedly trusted Ken.
I hadn't found a job yet, but I told him I was going to leave when I did so. His initial reaction was 'what can we do to make this better for you?' I said, 'I don't think there's anything that you can do. The two clients I've got are perfect (Smith and Nephew in Birmingham and Waitrose in Bracknell), the work is interesting. However, I can't tolerate the lifestyle - the long hours, being away from home, not seeing my family.' Eventually he turned to me and said 'yeah, one day I think I'm going to wake up in my 50s, the children will have gone and I will never have seen them!' I thought that if I felt trapped, in that moment, he must have felt triply trapped.
Looking at this website, it looks to me like he did manage to have a happy family life, whilst still working for Andersens. It also looks like you all stayed in the UK and for some reason I'm very pleased about that too.
To the three of us, Ken was the consummate competitor, equally in sport as in life. Scott, a varsity Basketball player, played 3 years of Club Volleyball with Ken, whereas I played 3 years of Club Soccer with him. NO ONE played to their potential, wanted to win, or extracted more from the experience of competition than Lacey. It did not matter whether it was tennis, golf, or bridge, Ken was always the most formidable team-mate, opponent, and participant on the field of play.
Additionally, Ken was the most dependable of friends -- not one that was intended to last this lifetime, but one that was of a forever nature. Regardless of the distance and time between us, reconnecting was immediate and rewarding. So glad I was able to visit with Ken & Grayson August 2024 in their marvelous home and actually meet some of his best friends at the Alderley Edge Cricket Club.
What we all admired the most about Ken, was his ability to live in the moment, give others his undivided attention, and use his amazing intellect and people skills (up until his last earthly days) to make one feel like the most important person in his life,
To the three of us, Ken was the consummate competitor, equally in sport as in life. Scott, a varsity Basketball player, played 3 years of Club Volleyball with Ken, whereas I played 3 years of Club Soccer with him. NO ONE played to their potential, wanted to win, or extracted more from the experience of competition than Lacey. It did not matter whether it was tennis, golf, or bridge, Ken was always the most formidable team-mate, opponent, and participant on the field of play.
Additionally, Ken was the most dependable of friends -- not one that was intended to last this lifetime, but one that was of a forever nature. Regardless of the distance and time between us, reconnecting was immediate and rewarding. So glad I was able to visit with Ken & Grayson August 2024 in their marvelous home and actually meet some of his best friends at the Alderley Edge Cricket Club.
What we all admired the most about Ken, was his ability to live in the moment, give others his undivided attention, and use his amazing intellect and people skills (up until his last earthly days) to make one feel like the most important person in his life,
It’s all been said! Here’s a bit more
14 years working with Ken in the Pharmacy practice 1990-2004 across the globe. It was an immense pleasure
We definitely ’worked hard and played hard’. We drove the length of England one early morning after a PMP Conference. 1. We got the proposal in by the deadline that day and 2. We won the engagement :)
I learnt a lot about punctuation writing proposals with Ken. You’ll know
The only improvement I could have suggested, but didn’t, was sort that putting out :)
It was a blast. He will be missed.
Cheers Mike (and Maria)
My god,what a loss for you all,
His constant smile was infectious, his persistant glowing enthusiasm for everything life thew at him was breathtaking.
We worked together at Accenture of couse but we also worked together on private equity stuff thereafter, and he was still the same Ken, more enthuastic about life than anyone I knew.
He will be missed by his broader community but he''ll be missed by you more, his close family. God bless you all xx
I remember Tasso carrying on when the Greeks were fighting the Turks over Cyprus He wanted to go fight.. "How can I show my face if I don't go fight?" says Tasso. Ken replied "How can you show your face if you're dead?" Tasso stayed at Rice.
A lot of memories.
He seemed to smile perpetually and host the best off site meetings. A great supporter of our Kingsley Hall footie team and golf days.
He had an extremely loyal of colleagues in his pharma team who all shared Ken's passion for their industry and clients. He ensured that his team got the work/life balance ethos way before it became a corporate buzzword. Simply a wonderful colleague, leader and proud husband and father.
My love and thought go out to you and your family. I hope that you have a wonderful celebration of an amazing life. I never had the opportunity to meet your Dad, but I have had the honour of calling you both a colleague and a dear friend. Your father must be so proud of the human that you have become and all the beautiful ways in which you have deeply impacted our world.
To have created a beautiful human like you he too must have been a fabulous human.
All my love from Kiribati
Therese xxx
My love and thought go out to you and your family. I hope that you have a wonderful celebration of an amazing life. I never had the opportunity to meet your Dad, but I have had the honour of calling you both a colleague and a dear friend. Your father must be so proud of the human that you have become and all the beautiful ways in which you have deeply impacted our world.
To have created a beautiful human like you he too must have been a fabulous human.
All my love from Kiribati
Therese xxx
We were on a boys trip to Bunyola - 2018 - reprobates included Mark Slaven, Norman Meredith, Ringo and myself. Ken greeted us at Palma airport and duly drove us back to his finca, on arrival Ken made the announcement that he had lost the HUGE bunch of keys that were required to not only get through the gates but to also access the property. We managed to get through the gate but had no clue as to how we were going to enter the finca. It was at this point that Ken pointed out that the tiniest window in the building was indeed open. As the smallest and obviously most agile I was nominated to break in, even a three year old child would have struggled to get through this particular opening. Ken somehow squeezed me through and just said 'Crack on you'll be fine' whilst holding onto my ankles. He had not disclosed that this was the downstairs restroom and I was therefore dangling head first into the lavatory! Our friendship was surely challenged at this point as I got the feeling Ken didn't care if I ended up in the loo or not, he just wanted me to get in and open the door! I never forgave him for that!
A few years later, we were having our usual Friday afternoon squash battle, we decided to have an early evening rum or two (for Ken) and a beer for me at the local Drum & Monkey pub. Ken was very enthusiastic as he had informed me it was a karaoke night. As I was walking towards the pub I heard this horrendous din, I waked in and to my utter astonishment at what should be the busiest Friday evening, the pub was empty except for the bar staff and Ken blasting out 'Born in the USA' . Ken thought he was absolutely brilliant, swinging his microphone around, singing like a banshee and dancing like an orangutan stung by a wasp! He wasn't asked for an encore!!
Ken, I miss you, you were truly a wonderful friend to many and I was so privileged to have you in my life for so many years. Glad I always beat you at squash!
He had a similar attitude and style at golf. I watched open mouthed the first time I saw him put his hand in his pocket and proceed to putt one handed and hole it !!!
Off the course or court he was equally irrepressible . No one could match his rate of consumption of Old Fashioneds or Bacardi & Coke . But the only time I saw him display any sign of inebriation was after an all day drinking session in Puerto dAndratx when he stood up fully compos mentis but then nearly destroyed half the restaurant when he stood up to leave … luckily we collectively managed to catch him . Ken , one of the world’s great guys , sorely missed but forever in our heart with fond memories. RIP Ken the super yank 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
over the years we had a couple of ski holidays , met at dinner parties football and get togethers of one form or another.
Ken always engaged in conversation in the way I think he did everything else in his life, with passion,enthusiasm and boundless energy.
When you met Ken t was always " Hi how are you" ? his eyebrows would rise when you introduced a topic or fact in discussion, maybe in encouragement, maybe in surprise, but always with a smile.
We both ended up seeing a Bruce Springsteen at the Stadium of Light, we at opposite sides of the arena.
It was a fantastic concert even though the rain was torrential.
Bruce and the band gave it their all. I think Ken and Bruce share this trait in life and although in the face of adversity in the last while Ken perhaps listened a little more than he spoke, the essence of his energy shone through.
When people are gone they leave something for everyone, so from me thank you Ken for your never ending Joie de Vivre!










Fond memories of our last wine tasting in Mallorca.

Always an inspiration both at work and play.
Together we were passionate Liverpool supporters and we both saw them win all the silverware.
He will be missed
Rest in peace
Andrew

Any social occasion would gain a lot from Ken being around, always happy to see you. Always very engaging, positive and warm. Keen to ask questions and relate to you.
We will all miss Ken xxx (pic from my wedding)

Ken, buddy, rest in peace.
Goodbye Ken we’ll miss you xxxx

He was a fantastic tennis partner , leaving us in fits of laughter as he threw himself across the court.
Ken was also a very caring Godfather to Victoria.



So many memories but two stand out.
Catching the early train from Macc to London most weeks with you running over the bridge shoelaces and tie undone while I tried to get the guard to wait another 30 seconds.
Your foray into football club ownership with Warrington Town FC. It wasn't enough just to be a director. You insisted on actually playing for them. The 30 year age gap counted for nothing. And of course the players all thought you were great.
Ken, you had many gifts but perhaps the most important was your humanity and completeness. In the 40 years I have known you I can't remember you ever saying anything bad about anybody. Even more unusually I can't recall anybody ever saying a bad word about you.
Rest in peace mate.



All memorable and much enhanced by Ken’s company. So grateful…


I do not know what or where the afterlife is but I am sure that you are in the Priority Check-In Lane and reading your tributes with a wry smile. I want to add to those tributes as a series of ‘thanks’:
Thankyou for being the first to visit Christopher at home after he was born. Thankyou for bringing the Cuban cigars and red wine. I still have the cigars after nearly 25 years but I think the red wine lasted only 25 minutes. Thankyou for performing the miracle that stopped Christopher from 48 hours of non-stop crying. As has been wonderfully observed in another tribute, this was truly ‘mesmerizing.’
Thankyou for making work travel more tolerable. Whether it was our countless train journeys to and from London together or transatlantic flights musing over what the ‘resort casual’ dress code might be, you were a wonderful companion.
Thankyou for making the fun times more memorable. From the Stellenbosch winelands to your beloved Mallorca, a walk to Prestbury or our times in the Bull’s Head, I will treasure those occasions in your unique company.
Thankyou for always assuming it was your round and so graciously accepting when it wasn’t!
Thankyou for the incredible precision with which you always communicated how late you were running, only to revise your original estimate, at least twice.
Thankyou for creating and adhering to the ‘Ken rules’ when coming over to our house. Never use the doorbell, always take your shoes off and tie the dog up outside so as not to scare our cat.
Thankyou for agreeing with everything I ever said about Scottish football in general, and Celtic in particular.
Thankyou for the many years of cherished friendship with you and Grayson.
David Squire

Both Kenny and Ronnie loved my parents, Ray & Jerretta Mouser,
It was always fun to go visit them in Oklahoma. And they would come home to Wichita often staying at Grandma’s house. Rest in Peace with our Lord dear Kenny. Love,💕 Joycie
Ken commanded such a presence in Kingsley Hall but somehow seemed unflappable and found time for everyone.
Lovely man. My thoughts are with his family. Al

Whenever I was with you, Ken, I felt alive and in the moment, and that the possibilities in life were endless. You not only lived life to the fullest, you had a gift of bringing us all along on that ride. I love you so much, Ken, I cannot believe you are gone.



Memorial
So we can get an idea of numbers, please do use the form below to RSVP.
Moss Ln
Alderley Edge
SK9 7HN
12:00 - 4:00ish
Donate
In honor of my dad, if you feel inclined, please consider donating to the Brain Tumour Charity (www.thebraintumourcharity.org) or the Glioblastoma Research Organization (www.gbmresearch.org) to help drive research forward and support those affected.

