Kenneth B. De Roche ’74 died Aug. 6.
De Roche died Aug. 6. Kenneth was born in Newark, N.J. in April 1924. Kenneth is a WWII combat veteran and a recipient of the Purple Heart. Kenneth was married to a woman he met in the second grade, Florence. Florence was impressed with his marble playing skills, and that is how the two formed a marriage that began June, 8 1947, and lasted until her death in 2003. Ken and Florence moved to University Place in 1958, when Florence received an offer to teach at Lister Elementary School. Ken never graduated high school but was enrolled in the University of Puget Sound by Florence anyway. Ken graduated with a bachelor’s in mathematics and would later receive a master’s degree in education from PLU. Ken became a teacher at Lister and McKinley elementary schools, teaching third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades; he retired in 1982. Ken and Florence have always had a love for contract bridge, so much love that they began teaching bridge at the Sunset Bridge Studio. Ken’s love of bridge continued for the rest of his life, playing as many as four times a week. Ken had two sons, William and Kenneth Jr., and a brother, Joseph. Ken is survived by a nephew, Joe De Roche of Chicago, Ill., and a grandson, Ryan De Roche of University Place, Wash.
