Kenneth Dale Stavinoha, a native Houstonian and a believer in Christ, passed away on September 21, 2019. Kenneth suffered a heart attack while performing his assigned duties at Station 27 and unfortunately did not survive, leaving his crew devastated.

Born in Houston on April 13, 1983, Kenneth graduated from Scarborough High School in 2002. Ken was an achiever, and though he did not have the opportunity to go to college, it did not stop him from reaching his goals. Obstacles in life shaped the person he grew up to be, a hardworking man of courage. Always eager to help others, one of Kenneth’s many admirable qualities was his passion for fixing things, especially cars. This quality proved to be a blessing in his life when he later became a firefighter. Aside from his love for cars, Ken also enjoyed fishing, surfing, hunting, and racing, especially his Toyota Supra.

Ken worked for 16 years in the printing industry at Page International Communications, where he met his wife, Jessica, in 2005. Their compassionate love for each other helped them endure hardships. In 2016, Page International Communications closed its doors to employees due to financial difficulties, and Ken lost his job. It was a tough time, but Ken was determined and did not give up. Sacrifices were made so he could have a brighter professional future. It was at this point that Ken’s mechanical knowledge paid off as he began his firefighting career.

After his many years devoted to printing, Ken pursued his new career as a firefighter with great effort. One of the notable sacrifices made to support this new endeavor was to sell his Toyota Supra, painful but necessary. Ken started Houston Community College’s Basic Fire Fighter Academy and EMT in 2016. It was a rough course, but he made it through. Ken completed and passed all certification required to start his journey as a firefighter. He applied to the Houston Fire Department and enrolled in the HFD Fire Academy in February 2018. His first HFD station was Station 19, where he met his first crew. After his probationary period, Ken was assigned to Station 27–A Shift.

Ken’s strength, tall stature, and tough shell could have made you feel intimidated, but to all those who truly knew him, he will always be remembered as a kind, gentle giant with a good soul. His unwavering dedication to his job and his love to help others will always be a cherished memory of him. Ken left an empty space in the heart of his wife and countless others whose lives he touched.