Obituary of Kenneth Paul Castaneda

KENNETH PAUL CASTAÑEDA, AGE 69, PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY IN HIS HOME ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2024. HE WAS BORN IN EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA ON JUNE 16, 1954 HE SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES MARINES FOR SIX YEARS AND WAS STATIONED IN MANY LOCATIONS ALL OVER THE WORLD INCLUDING HAWAII AND JAPAN.

SOON AFTER HIS MILITARY SERVICE, HE MARRIED SHERYL AND THEY SHARED A LIFE OF OVER 40 YEARS WHICH INCLUDES FIVE CHILDREN ANICETO, ANTONIO, ANDREA, ALEJANDRO, AND AURORA, AND SIX GRANDCHILDREN PAIGE, KENNETH JR., KORDILIA, DAVID, ERIK, AND JACK.

IN ADDITION TO HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY, HE LEAVES BEHIND HIS TWO SISTERS, ONE BROTHER, AND COUNTLESS OTHERS WHO WILL MISS HIM DEARLY.

HE WAS A CELEBRATED MUSICIAN WHO SPENT MANY YEARS PLAYING GUITAR IN BANDS ALL AROUND THE VALLEY. HIS KNOWLEDGE AND HIS PROFICIENCY AS A MUSICIAN WERE UNPARALLELED. HE SPENT HOURS LEARNING SONGS, FOCUSING ON THE METICULOUS DETAILS SO THAT ANYTIME THERE WAS A QUESTION ON HOW TO PLAY SOMETHING, HE WOULD HAVE THE ANSWER. HIS STYLE DREW UPON LATIN, JAZZ, AND PROGRESSIVE ROCK OF THE 60'S AND 70'S BUT HE HAD HIS OWN IDENTITY AND SOUND. NO ONE CAN PLAY LIKE HIM.

EVERYONE WHO KNEW KENNY UNDERSTOOD HOW IMPORTANT WORK WAS TO HIM, IF HE WASN'T MOVING AND KEEPING BUSY, THEN HE WOULDN'T BE HAPPY. DESPITE HIS PENCHANT FOR BEING ON THE MOVE.

HE ALWAYS TOOK HIS TIME ON THE JOB. HE DID THINGS RIGHT, THE FIRST TIME, EVERY TIME. HE VALUED INTEGRITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND, DESPITE HIS SOMETIMES-SERIOUS DISPOSITION, HE WAS SILLY AND QUICKER TO THE PUNCHLINE THAN EVERYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM.

RAMBLE ON KENNY.

PLEASE JOIN US IN CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF KEN CASTANEDA ON SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2024, AT 10 AM AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:

MELDRUM MORTUARY, 52 NORTH MACDONALD ST., MESA, AZ 85201