Kenny Milburn
| My name is Shanie, I am a good friend of Ken Millburn, with a heavy heart I am saddened to say we lost Ken to bowel cancer on the 23rd August. He was an amazing man! He would do anything for anyone, and had the best outlook on life!! He was quite reserved and never really spoke much about his past! After loosing him m I decided to look online to see what I could find. Then I came across this website. He has lived on his boat since he left the sea and moved into a flat last October after becoming ill. Living in a building was definitely strange for him! He was highly respected in his village and known for helping out wherever possible. I met him around 7/8 years ago when I worked at smugglers bar and instantly he become a close friend. I am so saddened to have lost him. |  |
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| Yesterday we said our final goodbye to Ken, still can't believe he has gone. Always thought he would be here with me. Forever missed xx. Shanie Hawke. Posted on forum 15 September 2017. | ||
Very saddened to hear of Kenny's passing, he was a bloody good seaman and a gentleman, please pass my condolences to his family.
I sailed with Kenny twice, things I can still remember about him after 40 + years, he was the first person I had ever known who nearly the same width as he was tall, had hands like dinner plates I can remember my hand came half way across his.
He was immensely strong, we had a hatch winch motor fail on the Cornish, as usual it was 2 in the morning and about to rain, once we took the monkey's faces off the hatch to disconnect the chain Kenny couldn't be bothered to wait for us to connect a closing wire he just had a rope made fast to the leading leaf took up the slack and started walking backwards, after an initial pause the hatch gave up the struggle and started to close.
Conversely he was capable of the most intricate work, his hand writing was copper plate, he purchased a large scale model of the Cutty Sark in Japan whilst on the Cornish City and proceeded to construct it, the rigging involved threading sail twine through tiny threefold purchases, how he could even see them when he held them in his huge fingers let alone thread sail twine through them I don't know, at the end of the process the bar of the Cornish City ended up with a magnificent model of the Cutty Sark.
The thing I really remember about him was his approachability,his willingness to share his knowledge, he was a very good seaman and his patience when teaching us cadets the intricacies practical seamanship especially a cakhanded trainee that I was. Wally H. Posted on forum 26 August 2017.
Thank you so much for that message that has made my day, he has told my little things here and there but I wish I knew more!! His hands were huge! He was so full of knowledge I could listen to him for hours.. he had such a wounderfull way of looking at the world. He loved Guinness and sweets I know nothing of his family. I'm not Evan sure if there really is anyone left. I think he had 2 sons but he hasn't had contact with them in a very long time. I really wish I had asked more questions he was a very wise man. Shanie Hawke. Posted on forum 26 August 2017.
Yes Kenny was married, I sailed with him and his wife, whose name after 43 years escapes me, on the Victoria City in 1974, they had just got married at this was their first voyage together. I can remember she was from Perth in Western Australia, blonde and very susceptible to sunburn. Wally H. Posted on forum 26 August 2017.
Strangely enough, although he was well known throughout the fleet, I had no dealings with him. He was well respected within RSL and well known. So sorry to hear of his passing and my condolences to his family. He was so lucky to have a friend like Shanie without whom, we would never have heard of his demise. RIP Kenny. John Cann. Posted on forum 26 August 2017.
Almost seven years to the day since JerryC posted up about Ken and the article in the press about him. It was really sad news to hear from Shanie that he had passed on. RIP Ken, you were a good shipmate. Mike Jones. Posted on forum 26 August 2017.
My condolences to Kens family. Ken's wife name was Judith. I sailed with Ken a couple of times, the one I remember was when we were on the PRC at Cowichan. Ken decided to hire a boat to troll for salmon in the Crofton Gap. We set away with Ken putting me in charge of the outboard engine. I was such a failure at steering he gave the driving over to Judith, the we had a nice afternoon trolling up and down, all we caught was rat fish which locals told us were uneatable.
R.I.P. Ken.
T Graham-Russell. Posted on forum 26 August 2017.
Thank you all for these messages, they are lovely to read. Shanie Hawke. Posted on forum 28 August 2017.
September 2017.