A tribute to

KENNETH JOHN PLEWE

December 5, 1950 --

February 16, 2026

With love and affection, we remember the life of Kenneth John Plewe—or Ken, as most of us knew him. We celebrate a life that was as vast and varied as the deserts he loved so dearly.

Ken's story began in Salt Lake City on December 5, 1950. He was born into a large, lively family, and from the very start, he was never truly alone. In 1952, the family moved to Las Vegas, a place that would shape the rest of Ken's life. Even as a young man, Ken showed relentless motivation. Whether he was excelling academically, playing a clarinet in the marching band or waking up in the dark to handle a massive paper route, Ken was a worker. Ken's life took him across the west from the Orchards of Simi Valley, California to an Oregon Lumbertown, Molalla, and then to Forest Grove and eventually to the halls of BYU. He found time for his guitar and music too, but the Desert always called him back.

He saw the world through a unique lens -- sometimes literally. As a photographer for Allen photography, he was the man hanging out of the helicopter to capture the scale of the world below. Later as a surveyor and the GIS administrator for Nye County, he mapped the very earth he walked upon. Ken had a rare gift: he could see what others missed. While others saw barren landscape, he saw history. He spent hundreds of hours in the national parks and Nevada deserts, finding arrowheads and artifacts that stayed hidden from everyone else. He was a master of lapidary and jewelry making, and a self-taught craftsman who could sit down at a commercial sewing machine to transform leather into handbags and belts. But there was also a melody to Ken's life.

He loved to make music, and some of our fond memories of him involved his guitar and his voice. Whether he was singing a favorite song or just strumming a tune, his music had a way of filling a room. Like his art, his music was a gift he shared freely.

Ken was a giver; he didn't just make things, he gave them away. He gave his time to his work, his talents to his family, and his heart to his faithful Border Collies. He was rarely seen without Bogey or Chili trailing behind him. In his final years, the "giver" became the recipient of a beautiful cycle of love. Living in Medical Lake, Washington, with his son Patrick and his wife Diana and their children, Ken was surrounded by the noise and life of his grandchildren.

Ken passed away peacefully on February 16 in his favorite chair. Ken leaves behind a legacy of hard work, artistic beauty, and a quiet, steady faith and love for his country. As we say goodbye, we imagine Ken once more in the high desert he loved--perhaps with a dog at his side, an arrowhead in his pocket, and the sun setting over the mountains.

Ken is survived by his sons Patrick Ivan Anderson (Diana), and Cameron Robert Anderson (Erin), along with his eight grandchildren: Porter, Sage, Liberty, Lincoln, Roslyn, Eden, Anna, and Claire. He also leaves behind his five siblings: Julie Phillips, Stanley Jared Plewe (Barbara), Russell David Plewe (Jo), Debra Pauline Ryan (Jim), and Kathleen Turner. There was a memorial service held March 7, 2026 in Cheney, Washington. A memorial Stone marker will be placed next to his parents, Melba Pauline and Jared Herman Plewe in the St. George City Cemetery in St. George, Utah.