Ken Pike 6 July 1951 – 8 July 2025
CONTRIBUTE
TO MEMORY TIMELINE
Thinking of you Ken and missing you like crazy. I know that you’re resting in peace after a long battle. You’ll never be forgotten and I’ll talk about you until the cows come home. Thanks for being the amazing brother we all needed. Love you big time … see you when I’m looking at you. Love Jenny 🫂🩶🕊️
I met Ken at Classic Sounds, an instrumental music school that used to run in Kelmscott. He was my first student of the teaching day, and we quickly formed a great friendship during our lessons. I have taught Ken for approximately 2 years, and in this time, despite his declining health, Ken has always been a very cheerful and inspiring individual. He started learning piano at 72... who does that?! Only a great man like Ken, with a smiling face and a willingness to learn and achieve. When Classic Sounds closed down, we continued lessons at Ken’s home. This is when our friendship really grew, because we didn’t have to abide by social norms and behave “appropriately” like when we were in the music school. Along with learning piano, we would share laughs, stories and jokes – you know the kind – the Ken kind! Another thing that really amazed and inspired me was how mentally engaged Ken liked to keep. He showed me how he used to plan the dancing coordination of his square dancing group. This was no joke in terms of complexity, but he would challenge himself and come up with a dancing routine that would be suitable for the group that he was leading. He would explain it all to me with such enthusiasm! This is a world that I had no previous exposure to, but there were so many overlapping concepts between the music that I was teaching Ken, and the dancing routines that he was coordinating. Ken’s artistic inclination, growth mindset, and cheerful personality always made him such an absolute joy to spend time with. I feel highly privileged that I got to spend time with you, Ken. I am sorry I am unable to be physically present at the funeral due to moving house. I hope I can be like you when I’m older - active, witty, humorous, and resilient. I have told many of my friends and students about you over the last 2 years. They have all found the stories inspiring, understandably so! I will continue to think of you as I continue to share your story with those around me that I feel need some encouragement to, as you say, “keep going until you can’t keep going!”. We will all miss you deeply, but it is impossible not to smile when we think of you, Ken. I hope you are enjoying freshly brewed coffee from some “hairless beans” in the afterlife! I shall continue to make such mischief in your honour. Rest in peace, my friend. I am so grateful for the time I got to spend with you.
Saturday 26 July was our first dance since the passing of our very positive and dedicated caller, Ken Pike, The Man with the Mike. His love of life, family and his square dance calling and dancing motivated him during his long battle with cancer and gave him strength and courage and we as dancers and friends were priviledged to be part of and witness. During this time he also motivated others to fight as well. On my last visit to Ken, a few days prior to leaving for Brisbane Square Dance Convention, he said he was going to come and call at our next dance and you would never guess what song it was going to be - 'THE END IS NEAR'. I told him that if he dare he would be dead anyway as I would kill him. I am sure that Ken knew that he did not have long for this to happed as he was in a tremendous amount of pain. During our conversation, he discussed with me that his dream when he took over the reigns from Alan Eades was to take Gidge Club through to 50 plus years and beyond, He just about made it to the 40 year mark. He was one month short. His wish was also for us to run the Club with Guest Callers to give the dancers the opportunity to get used to dancing with different callers. This we have in place for this year and will arrange accordingly for following years. We intend to keep dancing at Gidge and keep the Club running as per Ken's instructions. For me, I have lost my partner in crime as he always went along with whatever outlandish skits etc. that I had in mind and helped us work them out doing whatever was asked of him and sometimes not knowing what was going to happen. Let us celebrate his calling career and dreams for Gidge Club keeping them alive by pursing his dreams and to keep Gidge a friendly fun loving club as we are and will always remain so in the coming years. I know he is watching us from above or below - whichever the case may be - as I was never sure which hat he was wearing sometimes - the devil's or an angel's. He was a friend to everyone and always had time to hold a conversation with them and encourage those who were not able to understand a move or just have a friendly chat. May his spirit live on thru you the dancers he loved. We love you Ken. R.I.P. No longer suffering.
Thinking of you Ken and missing you like crazy. I know that you’re resting in peace after a long battle. You’ll never be forgotten and I’ll talk about you until the cows come home. Thanks for being the amazing brother we all needed. Love you big time … see you when I’m looking at you. Love Jenny 🫂🩶🕊️ Read full message here.
I met Ken at Classic Sounds, an instrumental music school that used to run in Kelmscott. He was my first student of the teaching day, and we quickly formed a great friendship during our lessons. I have taught Ken for approximately 2 years, and in this time, despite his declining health, Ken has always been a very cheerful and inspiring individual. He started learning piano at 72... who does that?! Only a great man like Ken, with a smiling face and a willingness to learn and achieve. When Classic Sounds closed down, we continued lessons at Ken’s home. This is when our friendship really grew, because we didn’t have to abide by social norms and behave “appropriately” like when we were in the music school. Along with learning piano, we would share laughs, stories and jokes – you know the kind – the Ken kind! Another thing that really amazed and inspired me was how mentally engaged Ken liked to keep. He showed me how he used to plan the dancing coordination of his square dancing group. This was no joke in terms of complexity, but he would challenge himself and come up with a dancing routine that would be suitable for the group that he was leading. He would explain it all to me with such enthusiasm! This is a world that I had no previous exposure to, but there were so many overlapping concepts between the music that I was teaching Ken, and the dancing routines that he was coordinating. Ken’s artistic inclination, growth mindset, and cheerful personality always made him such an absolute joy to spend time with. I feel highly privileged that I got to spend time with you, Ken. I am sorry I am unable to be physically present at the funeral due to moving house. I hope I can be like you when I’m older - active, witty, humorous, and resilient. I have told many of my friends and students about you over the last 2 years. They have all found the stories inspiring, understandably so! I will continue to think of you as I continue to share your story with those around me that I feel need some encouragement to, as you say, “keep going until you can’t keep going!”. We will all miss you deeply, but it is impossible not to smile when we think of you, Ken. I hope you are enjoying freshly brewed coffee from some “hairless beans” in the afterlife! I shall continue to make such mischief in your honour. Rest in peace, my friend. I am so grateful for the time I got to spend with you. Read full message here.
Rest in peace Ken it was a pleasure to know you Marina and Paul Long Read full message here.
An amazing, caring and generous man with his time and energy with everyone around him. You will be missed mate. Read full message here.
Saturday 26 July was our first dance since the passing of our very positive and dedicated caller, Ken Pike, The Man with the Mike. His love of life, family and his square dance calling and dancing motivated him during his long battle with cancer and gave him strength and courage and we as dancers and friends were priviledged to be part of and witness. During this time he also motivated others to fight as well. On my last visit to Ken, a few days prior to leaving for Brisbane Square Dance Convention, he said he was going to come and call at our next dance and you would never guess what song it was going to be - 'THE END IS NEAR'. I told him that if he dare he would be dead anyway as I would kill him. I am sure that Ken knew that he did not have long for this to happed as he was in a tremendous amount of pain. During our conversation, he discussed with me that his dream when he took over the reigns from Alan Eades was to take Gidge Club through to 50 plus years and beyond, He just about made it to the 40 year mark. He was one month short. His wish was also for us to run the Club with Guest Callers to give the dancers the opportunity to get used to dancing with different callers. This we have in place for this year and will arrange accordingly for following years. We intend to keep dancing at Gidge and keep the Club running as per Ken's instructions. For me, I have lost my partner in crime as he always went along with whatever outlandish skits etc. that I had in mind and helped us work them out doing whatever was asked of him and sometimes not knowing what was going to happen. Let us celebrate his calling career and dreams for Gidge Club keeping them alive by pursing his dreams and to keep Gidge a friendly fun loving club as we are and will always remain so in the coming years. I know he is watching us from above or below - whichever the case may be - as I was never sure which hat he was wearing sometimes - the devil's or an angel's. He was a friend to everyone and always had time to hold a conversation with them and encourage those who were not able to understand a move or just have a friendly chat. May his spirit live on thru you the dancers he loved. We love you Ken. R.I.P. No longer suffering. Read full message here.