WILMINGTON — Kenneth Trevis ‘Ken’ Busteed, 85, died peacefully Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, due to complications from lung cancer.
Ken was born Aug. 16, 1935, in Staten Island, New York, to Clarence Busteed and Mildred Andreas. His mother passed away at a very early age, and he was the youngest of two children. His sister, Joan Busteed Pandolfi, passed away in 1998 at the age of 65.
Ken was educated in New York area schools and was a graduate of Wagner College. He had a very successful career in biopharmaceuticals and held positions with Merck and Technicon among others.
In 1982, he and his wife, Linda (Grant), ended their respective careers and purchased a country inn in Vermont with their life savings. With Ken’s keen business sense and Linda’s culinary and interior design skills, the inn gained national recognition and awards of excellence in the 1980s and 1990s. After 11 successful years, they continued working in the hospitality field as consultants.
Linda passed away from frontal lobe dementia in 2011. Ken was an integral part of making sure Linda had the best care and was by her side making sure her quality of life was the best it could be. In 2015, Ken remarried Barbara Jones, a nurse and high-quality caregiver. He continued to have close ties to the hospitals and medical communities.
Ken served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was an avid jazz lover and musician. He was a skilled clarinet player and also played the banjo. He was a huge Benny Goodman fan. Ken loved the beach for walks, swimming and surfcasting. He was a big New York Giants and Yankees fan.
He is survived by his two sons, Warren of New Harbor Maine and Larry of Coventry, Rhode Island; his youngest son, Roger of Wilmington, passed away unexpectedly in 2014, and his wife, Barbara. He has three daughters-in-law, Kim of Coventry, Beth of New Harbor and Teal of Wilmington; and three grandchildren, Trevis, Fletcher and Lauren.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date to be determined.
In lieu of flowers, Ken’s wishes were to have donations sent to St. Jude Children’s Research Center, Cancer Research.
Share online condolences with the family at Andrews Mortuary & Crematory.
