Kenneth Colburn

It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of Kenneth (Ken) R. Colburn on Wednesday, August 7th, 2024 at the age of 62 from an incredibly short battle with cancer.  Ken was born in Tuscola, Illinois to Samuel and Carolyn (Kunz) Colburn.  The family moved to Liberty Township, Ohio in 1977.  Ken  graduated  from Lakota High School in 1979.  After high school, Ken attended Miami University where he received a Bachelors of Science degree in Accounting with a minor in English.

In May 1985, Ken started his career with Fairfield Police Department as a Patrolmen.  He spent his entire career with the Fairfield Police and retired in May 2018.  In 2007, he attended FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.  He felt honored to attend National Academy and spoke highly of the experience.  During his service, he received numerous promotions and retired as the  Lieutenant of the Support Services Division.

He felt most at home in Tennessee at Dale Hollow Lake, boating and fishing with his wife, Colleen and their three dogs, Rufus, Zelda and Zevon.  You could often find Ken tinkering in his garage, cutting a neighbor's grass or reading on his porch.  He was passionate about all things mechanical, especially cars.  If you ever rode in a car with Ken and he saw an older model vehicle, he could tell you the year it was manufactured, the make, the model and probably the engine size.  His latest passion was bass fishing and he actually kept a log of every fish he caught, the length of the fish, the date, the time, the location and the type of lure.  This is not a surprise to anyone that knew Ken.

Ken was a fierce defender of the English language with grammatical precision.  For example, you use the restroom when you are out in public and the bathroom when you are home.  His favorite color is plaid with khaki colored shorts, even in the winter.  As we write this, we know Ken is sitting in heaven, correcting our grammar and punctuation.  Any errors are done on purpose because we know he is cringing that his name is attached.

As his mother shared, Ken was the anchor of their family.  His quick wit, generous heart and meticulous attention to detail are just a few of his traits that will never be forgotten.  He loved his family immensely and was an incredible husband, father, son, brother, uncle, bonus grandfather and friend.  His passing has left a hole in the Colburn family and will be forever missed by everyone that knew him.

Ken is survived by his wife, Colleen Futvoye-Colburn, his son, Samuel (Sam) II, his parents, Sam and Carolyn, his brothers, Steve, David (Crystal), Gary (Cindy) and sister, Sheri and his bonus granddaughter, Peyton Marie.  His nephews, Steven, Cameron, Brett, Derek, Evan, Bobby, Jordan, Roy, Elliot, Austin, Michael, Ryan and nieces, Allison, Clara and Ann Charlotte.  Sisters in law, Pam, Peggy, Debbie and Mary and his dogs, Rufus, Zelda and Zevon.  Zelda and Zevon are both rescues from PAWS of Dale Hollow.

We will leave you with a final Kenism: A Diet Mountain Dew and a bag of Twizzlers can fix any problem and the world can't knock a man down wearing a floppy hat!

Visitation will be 5 p.m - 7p.m, Friday, August 16, 2024 at Avance Funeral Home & Crematory, 4976 Winton Rd. Fairfield, OH 45014. Funeral service will be at 10 a.m Saturday, August 17, 2024 at Avance Funeral Home & Crematory, 4976 Winton Rd. Fairfield, OH 45014. In lieu of flowers, Ken's family would appreciate donations to the following dog rescues:

PAWS of Dale Hollow PO Box 242 Byrdstown, TN 38549

Dream House Rescue PO Box 681 Batavia, OH 45103