Kenneth Joseph Platte, born March 25, 1938, son of Joseph and Helena Platte passed away peacefully in his sleep on June 3, 2019. Ken grew up on the northwest side of Grand Rapids where as a young boy he enjoyed hanging out with the many kids in his neighborhood. He shared stories of playing in the woods for hours, skiing, and ice skating in the areas around John Ball Park. As a teenager, Ken spent weekends at his Uncle Lester's farm, where he discovered a love of the outdoors. He grew even more passionate about the outdoors with his brother Loren, who taught him how to hunt and fish. Ken loved to hunt deer, rabbits, and squirrels. One of Ken's greatest pleasures was working outdoors cutting down trees, working in the yard, and building things. Although Ken had only a high school diploma, he loved to read and was knowledgeable about so many topics, and he enjoyed having conversations about the interesting things he learned. As a young man he became a skillful carpenter and was an expert at electrical work, as well as having a gift for working on cars. He built a wonderful cabin at Wolf Lake and later, alongside his son-in-law Dave, Ken built several homes to include a beautiful retirement home on Platte Lake. Ken had a wonderful sense of adventure and curiosity; he loved to travel back country roads on his motorcycle. This love of motorcycles was instilled in his daughters, too, by riding the countless dirt bikes trails of Lake County. Ken served his country as a member of the National Guard, and following high school he was proud to join the Marine Corps. He loved to share his Marine Corps experiences, especially his work on military transport aircraft. Ken had happy memories of the tree cutting business he ran with his best friends. Following his service in the Marine Corps, Ken began working as a lineman for Michigan Bell Telephone Company, served as a union representative, and retired after over three decades of employment. Ken had a tenacious, independent spirit. He was fiercely proud of his children and grandchildren and instilled in them a strong work ethic. Ken is survived by his wife Betsy of 58 years, daughters Mary Ziomkowski (Dave) and Sarah LaMarr (Tim), grandchildren Courtney Ziomkowski (Alan Riehl), Jake Ziomkowski (Tiffany Christian), Tyler Ziomkowski (Kelley Burcroff), Mallory Ziomkowski (Danny Nap), Madyson Ziomkowski, and great-grandchildren Grayson, Knox, Allaryia, Karson, and Ronan. Our husband, dad, grandpa, and great-grandpa will be in our hearts forever.