Remembering an ‘officer and a gentleman’

WEST BLOOMFIELD — The West Bloomfield Board of Trustees presented a proclamation March 23 to the family of the late Ken Macon, describing him as a stalwart supporter of the community who also served as a member of the Library Board. 

“Ken Macon has a long, beautiful history of service to West Bloomfield, only rivaled by his wife Deb Macon. The two of them were stellar West Bloomfield ambassadors. We have a beautiful proclamation to honor Ken and his service to the township,” said Trustee Debbie Binder. 

Ken Macon, 82, died March 13 after a two-year struggle with the effects of Agent Orange and Parkinson’s disease. Agent Orange was an herbicide used by the U.S. government to destroy its adversaries’ forest cover and food supplies during the Vietnam War.

Ken Macon served 16 years on the West Bloomfield Library Board and received the Lifetime Leadership Award in recognition of service.

Those who knew Ken Macon described him as an avid reader and lover of books. He was a volunteer at the West Bloomfield Public Library before becoming a board member there.

“Bad libraries build collections; good libraries build services; great libraries build communities, which captures the essence of our Ken Macon,” Binder said. 

For more than 10 years, Ken Macon never missed a single meeting of the library board until he had to recuperate from surgery, said Deb Macon.

The Macon family moved to Michigan when Ken Macon was offered an executive position with Allied Chemical, an automotive supplier where he worked in health and safety. He was described as a trailblazer who helped support women in the workplace. 

On the Library Board, he helped hire Cathy Russ, the current library director, during the COVID pandemic in December 2020. 

“He was so kind and so welcoming,” Russ said. “He would say, ‘Let me know if you need any advice’ … and I took him up on that several times.” 

Many referred to Ken Macon as a “gentleman.”

“I miss him every day,” Russ said. “I truly loved him. He was wonderful.”

After moving to West Bloomfield in 1984 with their young son, Ken Jr., Ken and Deb Macon got involved with the township’s first recycling taskforce, helping to design and implement the program as volunteers. As it grew, the township had to hire dedicated employees.

“That was literally when no one in West Bloomfield knew anything about recycling,” Deb Macon said, adding that now people know it’s the right thing to do.

The Macon family live in the Bloomfield Hills School District. Ken Macon and his wife became active in the school district, as well, and he also volunteered at the Johnson Nature Center, where he became a member of the board and served as president for many years. He also served on the Hospitality Committee. 

“He thought it was so important to welcome families to the nature center so young children could be introduced to the outdoors in a controlled learning environment,” Deb Macon said. 

In addition to being an avid reader, he was an accomplished gourmet cook, a master griller, and a winemaker utilizing his background as a chemist. He learned to cook and make wine by reading books on the subject.

Deb Macon said her husband was the family cook and did all the grocery shopping. 

“I am good with cooking, but there is no place better to order out than West Bloomfield,” she said about what she would do about meals. 

Ken Macon was a decorated combat veteran who served in the U.S. Army as a commissioned artillery officer in the Vietnam War, which exposed him to Agent Orange on a regular basis, Deb Macon explained. She said troops were encouraged to use the chemical for washing purposes due to the lack of water. 

Deb Macon is accomplished in her own right. She currently trains and consults with school boards in Michigan and has no plans to retire. This is in addition to her volunteer work.

Service to the community was how Ken Macon and his wife were raised by their parents. 

Ken Macon’s younger sister Beverly Macon recounted how her high school years were impacted by him. 

“Teachers would ask, “You wouldn’t (happen to) be Ken Macon’s sister?’ As soon as I said yes, I walked in grace,” Beverly Macon said. “To be his sister automatically meant I had at least 10 steps up on everyone else. I immediately had teachers who were willing to help and mentor me because he had laid the way for me. He was always excellent and hardworking. 

“I am so proud to be here and hear this about my brother,” she continued. “Thank you for remembering him like this. I will always appreciate it.”