Obituary

Ken Stacey
28th March 1932 – 18th December 2019

Ken Stacey, who died in December at the age of 87, was a long time member of AAC(UK) and served on the Social Committee, the fore-runner of the Alpine Team, in the 1980s and 90s. His quiet enjoyment of walking made him a good companion on many Club activities, including AAC(UK) Austrian meets. Like many people of his generation, who came to know and love the Alps in the summer time, Ken also became an enthusiastic cross-country skier. The 1984 Black Forest Marathon was particularly memorable, when they skied along the Black Forest Way for 100km on tracks with excellent snow, with fabulous sunny weather and long days of switch-backing over big whale-back hills. In the 1990s and early 2000s he joined AAC(UK) members on trips to the Canadian Rockies, Kenya (where he climbed Kilimanjaro), Nepal (including the ascent of Island Peak and completing the Annapurna Circuit ), Darjeeling, Sikkim and Bhutan. One memory of Ken is his enjoyment of a ‘nap’ after a long day in the Himalayas even though his stillness sometimes caused concerns!

Between trips abroad, Ken joined in the ‘Southern Walks’ and some ‘Northern Meets’. In the late 80s he was also a member of AAC(UK) footbridge building parties in East Sussex, helping local councils and RA groups. As a stalwart of the walks he joined the Social Committee helping to provide the walks and meets programme. Ken was an excellent walks leader who always got his copy in promptly, and is remembered for his walks in Hertfordshire, and particularly in the North and South Downs – challenging walks that maximised the feet of ascent. He never appeared to hurry but ate up the ground at the same speed, uphill or downhill.

Ken had not walked with the Club for the last few years but leaves a memory of a shy, kind, thoroughly decent and likeable chap, a consummate walker, who enjoyed a drink in the pub during a walk and had a fondness for apple pie.

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