The world lost a loving husband, father, brother and uncle, and an exemplary teacher and storyteller, when Ken Spraggs passed away unexpectedly after a brief illness. He died surrounded by his family on Tuesday, the twenty-second day of the second month of 2022, shortly before 2pm — a confluence of twos that, as a math guy, he would have loved.

Ken grew up in Ajax, in a small A-frame house that his parents Ed and Eileen bought after the war. He shared that two-bedroom home on Exeter Road with his parents, three brothers, a sister, and a succession of family dogs. His mom — who worked as a code-breaker during WWII — gifted him with a passion for math, while his dad passed on his love of tinkering and woodworking projects. As a kid, Ken loved playing sports and making friends. He tried — unsuccessfully — to stay out of trouble with the nuns at school. He enjoyed taking road trips (only driving the family’s trailer off the road once) and helping his mother to look after his younger siblings (only losing his youngest brother Ernie once or twice). He cherished his family and the memories they shared.

After attending St Bernadette’s and Neil McNeil High School, Ken studied physics and math at the University of Toronto Scarborough College before completing his teaching degree. He began his teaching career at Denis O’Connor before moving to O’Neill Collegiate in Oshawa, where he shared his love of math and physics with a generation of students.

While teaching at O’Neill, he met his future and beloved wife Lise, a history teacher and Librarian, whom he married two years later and cared so deeply for. They soon had two children, Ian and Erin, and made their home in north Whitby. Ken treasured his kids — sending them off to school in the morning, shuttling them to after-school activities, helping them with homework and projects, and seeing them off to university. Through all of it, he was their loudest cheerleader and most supportive teacher, imparting his wisdom whether it was solicited or not. As a husband and father, Ken was unparalleled.

In addition to being involved with Outward Bound, Ken enjoyed playing sports with friends and family, especially tennis, golf, and curling. He loved finding the perfect walking stick on hikes, barbecuing on the deck, cooking for his family on holidays, doing projects around the house, and building birdhouses.

These few words are hardly adequate to capture who Ken was. A close friend once told him, “Ken, remember — this is supposed to be a story, not a novel”… this is one story we all wish hadn’t ended so soon.

Ken will be deeply missed by his wife and best friend of 35 years, Lise; his son Ian and his husband Matt; his daughter Erin; Lise’s mother Inge Arvo; his brother Bob and his wife, Laura; his sister Nancy and her children Andrew, Mary, Kenny, and Matthew; his brother Rick; his youngest brother Ernie, his wife Janet, and their children Kevin, Sam, and Jay; his brother-in-law Ken Arvo, partner Lise, his wife Kathrin, and their children Jennifer and Jessica; and a generation of great-nieces and great-nephews whom he loved dearly. Ken was predeceased by his parents and his brother-in-law Richard Skiba.

Details on a celebration of Ken’s life will be forthcoming. If desired, donations to the Heart and Stroke foundation would be appreciated. You can click on the "Donations" tab at the top of this webpage to find a link.