Kenneth Ray Huckaby, 74, St. Louis, died Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017.
He was born October 31, 1942 in Beaumont, Texas to Joseph Mathew and Lillian Frances (Mutina) Huckaby. He grew up in Dickinson, Texas and graduated from Dickinson High School in 1961. He moved to Saint Louis in 1963 as an inspector for the Missouri Department of Transportation. For most of his working career, he was involved in some aspect of building codes, starting as an inspector for the city of Clayton. Later, he worked for Code Consultants Inc., helping companies on building projects, started the building code program at Saint Louis Community College-Forest Park, and for the BOCA International in Chicago from 1984-1994 teaching standard building code and inspecting practice. After moving back to Saint Louis, he again worked for Code Consulants and before retirement, he consulted from his own business, Creative Code Consultants.
Through his life, he threw himself into a number of hobbies, including raising aquarium fish, building and shooting black powder weapons, golf, and computers. He served as a deacon at Third Baptist Church in Saint Louis and, later, as an usher at Southwest Baptist Church, where he was an active part of the Keenager program. He and Kathy went dancing at the Saint Louis Senior Center every Friday night and frequently attended music concerts in Tower Grove and Carondelet Parks. He never met a stranger and would strike up conversation with anyone he met. After retiring, he regularly visited a series of McDonald’s to have coffee in the morning to meet with friends.
He leaves a wife of 53 years, Katherine (Davis) Huckaby; daughter Katherine Brooks and husband Harold in Norman, Oklahoma, son Kenneth M. Huckaby and wife Michiko in Frisco, Texas; and son Kevin M. Huckaby and wife Jenny in Steger, Illinois. He leaves 7 grandchildren Sarah and Christopher Brooks and Jennifer, Jackson, Johnathan, Michael, and Ryan Huckaby, a brother Matt and wife Janet, and a sister Karen and husband Bruce Haire. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers Van and Donnie.
There will be a memorial service at Southwest Baptist Church at 1:30 pm on March 12, 2017. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donating to the American Cancer Society.
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