Kenneth W. Pippin

Kenneth Wayne Pippin, 75, of Geneseo, Illinois, passed away Saturday, January 17, 2026, at University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City.  Visitation will be held Friday, January 23, 2026, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Vandemore Funeral Home – Geneseo Chapel. Funeral services will be Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Grace United Methodist Church.  Memorial donations may be directed to the Ken Pippin Memorial Fund.

Ken was born March 28, 1950, in Miami, Oklahoma, to William Kenneth Pippin and Opal (Parke) Pippin. He grew up in southwest Missouri and graduated from El Dorado Springs High School in 1968. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla in 1973, where he was a member of Delta Sigma Phi social fraternity.

After graduation, Ken worked for the Missouri State Highway Department in Joplin for one year, then served as Project Engineer on a pollution control project for Foote Mineral Company in Keokuk, Iowa. In 1976, he moved to Geneseo, where he joined Blackhawk Foundation Co., Inc. as an Estimator. In 1999, he became owner and President of the company, a role he held until his retirement on January 2, 2022. He loved what he did for a living and the people he worked with, and though he worked tirelessly, he always made time for fun with family.

Ken and Cynthia Wilks were married in El Dorado Springs, Missouri, and spent 58 years building a life together. With Cindy by his side, Ken lived by clear priorities: faith first, then family, then friends. He stayed connected with lifelong friends from high school and college, including his Delta Sig buddies and his group 'The Greatsome Eightsome.' He was the kind of man who showed up for people—always ready to help however he could. Despite his many responsibilities, he always made time for anyone who asked, and no matter how busy life got, he stopped to smell the roses every single day.

Ken was a member of Grace United Methodist Church, where he shared his love of sports with the congregation by serving on the Geneseo Men's Church Softball League Board from 1980 to 2015, playing and coaching the Grace team. His commitment to youth sports ran deep—he coached youth baseball, girls softball, soccer, basketball, and football for his children, was instrumental in starting a Mickey Mantle baseball team in Geneseo and worked to bring back the charter for American Legion Baseball, coaching those teams as well.  He loved traveling with Cindy and visiting family in Florida, Texas, and Missouri. After retirement, he enjoyed winters in Florida and all other seasons with family and friends in Illinois. He loved being outside— especially in the sunshine and at the beach—country and gospel music, fixing anything and everything, and garage projects. Above all, he loved teaching his kids and grandkids to be good people.

His grandchildren and great-grandchildren found him always game to do anything—whether it was teasing, tickling, hugging, swimming, biking, or whatever they wanted. They always
looked forward to time with GPa, Papa, or Papa Kenny, depending on who was talking. He taught them many skills, the value of hard work, and endless lessons about life.

Ken is survived by his wife, Cindy, of Geneseo; daughters Tracy (Billy) Alls of Rapids City, IL and Stormy (Eric) Kubatzke of Fernandina Beach, FL; son Sean (Shannon) Pippin of Bradenton, FL; grandchildren Devin (Casey) Blackert, Gage (Michaela) Blackert, Caden Kubatzke, Cael Kubatzke, Reese Kubatzke, Sophia Pippin, and Cash Pippin; step-granddaughters Amy (Scott) Misfeldt, Autumn (Kenny) Kinmon, and Paige Alls and their families; great-grandchildren Izabel, Jaxson, and Kynzlee Blackert; brother-in-law Nick (Betsy) Wilks of Houston, TX; loving nieces and nephews in Missouri and Texas; and many loving extended family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; four sisters: Betty Hill, Helen Miller, Billie Basinger, and Faye Nielsen; and his in-laws, Merle and Betty Wilks.