In Memory
Kenneth V. Horvath
January 1, 1950 ~ June 16, 2023 (age 73
Ken Horvath, 73, of South Bend passed away Friday, June 16, 2023. He was born January 1, 1950 to the late Benedict Horvath and Florence (Beczkiewicz) Horvath. Ken is survived by his loving wife, Janet S. Horvath, their daughter Angela M. (Kurt Donley) Horvath of Roswell, NM and his two brothers, Dennis (Evelyn) Horvath of Buchanan, Mi and Gregory (Lee) Horvath of Chicago, IL.
Beloved Husband, Father, Brother, Friend….
Ken went to IUSB where he earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting, going on to become a CPA. He was employed at CFS Staffing, most recently serving a 5-year assignment at PeopleLink in South Bend.
Ken Loved Life! Ken loved people! Ken especially loved and adored his daughter Angela. He was so proud of Angela’s kind heart and academic achievements including a Ph.D LCSW, CCTP Clinical Social Worker. Ken and Angela shared many loves, including animals, nature, and a good healthy debate! Their Sunday talks were one of the highlights of his week.
Without a doubt, the light of Ken’s life was his wife, Janet. Ken and Janet were married for 13 years and together for 19 years. Ken always shared how blessed he was to find Janet and have her in his life. They were a team, a pair, the perfect match! They truly loved just being together! They shared the love of family, people, nature, gardening, Notre Dame, Christmas, creating events, hosting parties, and just impromptu gatherings for drinks on the drive!
When Ken started dating Janet, he didn’t know he was getting not one family but two! The Gang, as they are known, has been part of Janet’s life for 30 years and not just anyone is welcomed into The Gang! Ken was a “thumbs up” on the first meeting! For 19 years The Gang has shared Friday night dinners throughout the Michiana area! They have done more Notre Dame football tailgates than they can remember, barbecued, explored new places and even vacationed together! In return Janet inherited Ken’s Elkhart Group, whom Ken had known for 30 years and more adventures emerged! These groups brought Ken great joy! They shared life’s ups and downs and truly put the meaning in the saying “Friends are the Family you pick”!
Family meant everything to Ken including his two brothers, Dennis and Greg, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. He was always there to support them in all aspects of life and family and they in return loved him beyond belief. Ken was more than accepted into the Ackles family as they experienced how special the relationship between him and Janet became and continued to grow through the years.
When Ken and Janet moved into their home on Amberwood Lane, one of the best chapters of their lives began, the neighborhood. They moved into this nice villa community and Ken, with his Pied Piper Personality, gathered the individuals into a community! Everyone agrees, Ken was the heart, initiator, or instigator of turning individuals living lives mostly in their homes into a community sharing in the riches of each unique soul in the neighborhood. You were no longer that house; you were a part of the community! It is the type of community everyone dreams of experiencing; drinks on the drive, shared house watching, outings, fun, laughter, and caring neighbors who do life together. The neighborhood was a great source of joy for Ken and Janet, with all the laughter, parties, celebrations, tears, and losses. Everything life is meant to be!
Ken was always thinking and creating! His creations were evident in his Christmas Train Village he built on their Kitchen soffit area and the beach huts constructed their annual Duffy Buffet Party! Each year there would be something different, newly creative added to the displays! Who else but Ken would create a Christmas Winter Wonderland in their master bedroom soaking tub or Build a Tikki Hut for the entrance to the Duffy Buffet Party. Then there was Ken’s intellectual challenges with those darn Reindeer Game Mind Bender Questions! Ken loved to see people work on, ponder, struggle with those questions!
When Ken Horvath was in the room there was never a stranger. Give Ken 15 minutes and then there would not be a stranger in the room. Ken often reflected how blessed he was with so many wonderful friends and family. Kind, caring, considerate Ken was the most attentive conversationalist you would ever be blessed to spend time with. When it came to communication, Ken was an active listener, remembering the details and always asking you about that specific important event happening in your life. He was a humble, appreciative, quiet man with a kind heart. He was soft spoken, calm; yet watch what you say. His sharp mind and quick wit kept you on your toes. Small in stature yet large in compassion, he was caring with his own unique powerful presence.
Ken was destined to be a life-long Notre Dame fan. His father was a Grounds Keeper at Notre Dame and the family lived right across from campus on Ivy Road! Ken was one of those who loved Notre Dame football. He may not have been quite as passionate or vocal as his wife Janet, but his ND sweatshirt was one of his favorites.
Anyone who knew Ken, realized he loved animals, and they loved him! Where Ken was the 2-legged ambassador of the neighborhood, Duffy, their dog was the 4-legged one! Ken and Janet shared a love of animals, people, and a good party, which turn led to a Duffy Buffet Pet Refuge fund-raiser. The kind-hearted, generous neighbors, family, friends turned these memory making events into one of Pet Refuge’s biggest fund-raisers! Ken and Janet continued to share their love of animals, bringing Jazzy the cat into their home. All that love, care, and attention from Ken and Janet gave Duffy a home for 16 great years and Jazzy for 6 years. When the house became empty, and the timing was right, they returned to Pet Refuge and took home Aspen, an ill cat no one else wanted who had been there for 10 years! This was Ken, give us the one no one else wants.
The Horvath’s door was not only welcome to animals. Many a family member and friend was able to find refuge, support, love, acceptance and a place to heal at Janet and Ken’s house! Just like their hearts, the door to their home was always open!
We always said Ken was a farmer at heart with an accountant’s mind! Ken loved, loved to create flower gardens and especially tulips! As with the parties, each year Ken would take another section of the garden and create a new eye and heart catching enhancement to the Horvath homestead. Who else but Ken would take a half chipped pot and turns it into a planter? Who but Ken would really dare to put pink flamingos in their yard! And he loved gardening. We think he actually spurred the neighbors to up their game when it came to the landscaping!
Ken broke many, many hearts on earth when he decided to join his heavenly father. Ken’s faith was very strong and private! He wasn’t one who needed to boast of his faith; he carried it in his heart and lived it through his loving actions with everyone he met!
And that is what Ken Horvath would want us to do, walk the talk! Be kind, compassionate, caring, listen to each other, be curious about life, enjoy life, always have fun and take care of people and animals!
Mass of Christian Burial for Ken will be held at 11:00 am Friday, June 23, 2023 at St. Joseph Catholic Church 226 N. Hill St. South Bend, IN 46617. Visitation will be held 4:00-7:00 pm Thursday June 22, 2023 at Palmer Funeral Home – Welsheimer North Chapel 17033 Cleveland Rd. South Bend, IN 46635.
In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Pet Refuge 4626 S. Burnett Dr. South Bend, IN 46614.
Online Condolences may be left for the family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com
06/26/2023 EJS
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