Kenneth Wayne Hedden, age 75, of The Villages, FL, passed away peacefully Nov. 23, 2016, at Cornerstone Hospice, in the Villages. His fiancée, Joan Tracy, and son, Kevin Hedden, were at his side. He was born Nov. 20, 1941, in Quincy, Illinois to Ralph and Edith Hedden. He attended high school in Taylorville, IL, and graduated with a B.S. degree from Southern Illinois University. Upon graduation, he worked in sales five years for the Penn Central railroad. From there he took a job with U.S. Lines and then went to Seatrain another cargo shipping company. He continued his long career in international shipping with CAST North American. He was a General Manager for CAST and opened new offices for them throughout the U.S. He also coordinated with their offices in Europe, making many trips overseas. Through his career, he lived in 17 cities and began his retirement in New Jersey. From there, he moved to Naples, FL, with his wife, Elizabeth Jean Hedden, whom he married in 1964. They spent seven years in Naples where he played golf and worked as a part-time ambassador. Later, they moved to the Terra Vista golf community near Inverness, FL, where she died. He had been in the Army reserves and was a Master Mason of 50 years. He loved playing golf and watching major sports. He was able to attend many professional events including the Kentucky Derby and some Super Bowls. His favorite teams were the Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears. However, he would also adopt whatever team was located in the city where he lived. Upon moving to the Villages, he joined The Colorado Club with his fiancée, Joan Tracy, and became a Bronco fan. He also made many friends with the Colorado golf group here. He was a car enthusiast and favored BMW’s. During his career, he enjoyed attending several major races at Daytona Beach and Indianapolis. He liked socializing and was always willing to help a friend. He told great stories about some of his escapades and travels throughout the world. Left to mourn his passing are his son, Kevin Hedden of Thailand; his fianceé, Joan Tracy, of the Villages; his niece, Melany Nitzsche, and her fiancé, Dave Adams of St. Louis, MO; sister-in-law, Jane and husband Steve Bair of Williamsville, IL; Doug, Stacey, Kinsley & Reagan Tracy of Dallas, TX; Kim Tracy Franklin and Dr. Michael Franklin of St. Petersburg, FL as well as other relatives and many friends including Mark, Tony, Mick, Phil, Ross, Rich, and John. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: New Covenant Methodist Church, 3470 Woodridge Drive, The Villages, FL 32162, where Ken was a member, or Villagers for Hospice, 601 Casa Bella, The Villages, FL 32162. A memorial service will be held Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016, at 11 a.m. at New Covenant United Methodist church. A ceremony for interment of his ashes will be held in Elkhart, Illinois at a later date.
