In Memory of Ken Rich

by Susan St. John

Ken Rich was a great friend of the Apprenticeshop almost from the beginning. Kevin remembers when he was an apprentice, back in the late 1970s, meeting Ken at Roque Island. Lance had asked Kevin to go to Roque to bring back some spruce for spars. Kevin worked with Ken and the horses in the woods, but only after Ken had saddled Kevin with a spirited horse and the admonition, “Don’t let him have his head until you hit the beach.” Ken was always a believer in getting one’s feet wet and learning by doing.

Ken served on the building committee for the ’Shop as a trustee from the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s. In 1998, knowing that Steele and Marshall Metal Fabrication was looking to move, Ken facilitated the Apprenticeshop acquiring the present building on Main Street and transforming it into a working wood shop. Ken was the Rockland Harbormaster at the time and dedicated much of his free time to lending a hand for the monumental move over from the Wharf Street location in the south end of Rockland. There were no windows to the street, the place was dark and Ken - always innovative, creative, resourceful - cut a hole in the first floor to let the heat to come up and, never asking for money, used his connections and his know-how and his skills in wizardry, found windows and helped make the place usable.

In the late 1990s, funds were donated by the late Charles Cawley to build the pier and floats. It was a project both inspired and inspiring and Ken had a hand in all aspects of its building. Often, when there were A’Shop-sanctioned weekends out at Lance Lee’s property on Greens Island, Ken would ferry folks there and back aboard his Bud Macintosh schooner Advent, always keen to share his knowledge and love for wooden boats and the sea. He was even a notary public and married lots of folks, including Kevin and Trish.

Ken had a beautiful baritone singing voice. He loved to sing shanties, hymns, Irish folks songs and ballads. He was known by all to be sage, empathetic, honest, humorous, hard working, a natural leader, with few - probably no - enemies in this world. Ken brought charm, energy and wisdom to the Apprenticeshop and to all of his endeavors. He was a champion of the talent and hard work that apprentices and instructors put into the 'Shop. He was not shy about telling people how proud he was of them. All those that knew him felt privileged and grateful in that knowing, and we all are bereft at his passing.