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Kenneth Miles Rudine
July 19, 1931 - March 29, 2022
A tribute to one of our most generous contributors |
Our
long relationship with Ken
Rudine started when he was doing research on a ghost town and
came across our listing. His father had been a steam locomotive engineer
on a defunct railroad that once served that part of Texas (Harris,
Wharton and Victoria Counties). A regular correspondence developed
and Ken would share stories of his childhood in the Houston Heights.
First-hand stories like buying doughnuts from Mr. Shipley himself,
out of the Shipley home kitchen door. He learned of FDR's death while
delivering newspapers, hearing the news on the radios through the
open windows of his patrons. His stories might have filled a book
- had he not kept so busy.
With his middle name of Miles, he was, perhaps, destined to be a traveler.
He was one of those rare people who recognized their powers of observation
and employed them well. Be it Marfa, Bandera or Medicine Mound, Ken
had a gnawing curiosity. It didn't stop with historical markers, it
extended to lighthouses, relics, abandoned hotels, faded murals or
ghost towns. He and his wife Yvonne were once surrounded by nearly
the entire Texarkana (Texas) police force when searching for the haunted
Hotel McCartney. Ken was able to explain that they weren't terrorists
- and then he proceeded to provide the police with a history lesson
on that faded landmark.
Ken was also an avid birder and from his forward base at Rockport,
he could easily head south to report on the red-headed parrots of
Brownsville's old city cemetery or stalk the elusive green jays of
borderland sanctuaries. I'm sure he would be a household name in Texas
birding circles had it not been for his insatiable wanderlust. Because
of his generosity, we covered several of his far-flung lighthouse
tours, covering the East Coast, Michigan and New England. His hilarious
account of being in a sinking boat in Galveston Bay is one for the
ages. Spoiler alert! (They walked to shore.)
I had the pleasure of taking a post-hurricane trip with Ken to visit
Sabine Pass Battleground - and to meet up with the late historian
W. T. Block for a detailed tour of that seldom-visited corner of the
state.
Ken was a true Houstonian who remembered the "old" Houston neighborhoods
and his incredible output proves his "love of place" - that place
being Texas. It was one of our greatest pleasures to cross paths with
Ken - and share his adventures with our readers. He will be sorely
missed.
John and Kate Troesser
Texas Escapes Online Magazine
Apri 6, 2022
To discover some of TE's best coverage, Ken's
page is here › |
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The Rudine Kid
Confident in the saddle |
Kenneth Rudine’s
official obit follows:
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March 29, 2022,
Kenneth Miles Rudine passed away at age 90. Ken was a native Houstonian,
a student at Reagan HS and U of Houston and served 4 years in the
USAF, a Korean war veteran. He raised 2 sons, Shannon and Rod with
his first wife, June Rudine.
In 1979 he married the love of his life, Yvonne Antl, and became step-father
to two daughters, Melanie (Larry) Eastep and Krista (Eric Noisom)
Antl. He had a passion for photography and was a great country music
lover. He
loved to contribute photo's and stories to http://www.TexasEscapes.com.
His life will be celebrated at a later date.
Addison Funeral Home |
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