Ken Balsley, also known as Mr. Lacey, dies at 80
Ken Balsley, an omnipresent figure in Lacey who chronicled and boosted the fortunes of the city he called home, has died after suffering a heart attack Tuesday afternoon, his wife Jan Teague said. He was 80.
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Balsley experienced some chest pains Tuesday, which prompted a trip to Kaiser Permanente in Olympia, she said. But before they could get inside the building, he collapsed in front of urgent care, Teague said. She praised the medical facility’s response, saying about 15 people worked to revive him for about 30 minutes before he died.
“They tried their hardest,” she said.
Balsley was extremely kind, loved people, was very forgiving and understood the value of forgiveness, Teague told The Olympian.
“He was extremely fun loving and couldn’t wait to see his next friend or go to his next Rotary meeting,” she said.
His favorite pastime was history, and he published a book this year called “Lacey: True stories of those who built a new city.”
“He loved Lacey’s history and was a big booster of anything to do with the history,” Teague said.
Former Lacey Mayor Mark Brown said Wednesday that Balsley was a Lacey icon due to the totality of his advocacy on behalf of the city. Balsley never held elected office, although he was a past candidate for Lacey City Council, but Brown contends his efforts exceeded anything a politician might accomplish.
“Few gave as much as he did over a longer horizon of time,” Brown said. “He will be terribly missed from the civic scene.”
Why did he love Lacey so much? Brown thinks it was because he was involved in the city from its infancy.
“Promoting Lacey became part of his life and he did it well,” he said.
Balsley was born Nov. 22, 1942, in Charles City, Iowa. He attended Olympia High School, served in the Army and graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia in 1973, according to his book.
He went on to work as a reporter, editor and photographer for the Lacey Leader, a newspaper that was formed in 1966 and ran until about 1980. Much of the work he did for the paper was later donated to the Lacey museum, his wife said.
Balsley also worked for local radio stations, the North Thurston Public Schools and in public relations, but perhaps was best known for the newsletter he started in August 1991 called Ken’s Corner and The Real News, which eventually attracted 464 subscribers, according to his book. The newsletter went away, but he continued to write about Lacey and share his opinions, which could be strong, via a website under the same name.
Balsley also interviewed local figures on Olympia radio station KGY for a weekly show called “Coffee with Ken.”
Besides his love for the city and its history, he also was a longtime supporter of Rotary International. He was a member of Lacey Rotary and enjoyed visiting the other clubs in the area, Teague said.
“It was a big part of his social life,” she said.
Balsley also served on the city of Lacey’s historical commission and parks board.
After learning of his death, many community members posted comments on his Facebook page.
“I just saw Ken on Thursday at a Lacey Rotary meeting,” said Courtney Schrieve of North Thurston Public Schools. “We chatted and hugged. I’m still a bit in shock. I am going to miss that cantankerous Mr. Lacey! He was my Rotary mentor and friend. Sometimes he gave me a hard time and irritated me, but he had a good heart and I will miss him a lot. He sure taught me a lot about community and service.”
Family members posted comments as well.
“Tonight is the night I have to say goodbye forever to my amazing Uncle Ken Balsley,” said Katie Balsley. “I can’t imagine my future without him. He has always been there for me when I needed him and taken me in and treated me like one of his own, he has loved my daughter so much and would do anything for us. Now I will cherish the memories we made together. I love you, RIP.”
In addition to his wife, Balsley is survived by a brother, Roger Balsley and sister, Jan Mamberg; a son, Brad Balsley; and his stepchildren, Mark Valerio, Dennis Tinney, Dawn Gibbs and Tony Valerio. Memorial services have yet to be scheduled.
