November 19, 1930 - September 1, 2000

Ken with the The Infant of Prague or his "Baby" as he called it, on Christmas Eve of 1997.

     Ken Patrette was my boss at the Old Cathedral for four years and a friend of mine during that time frame as well. I was very fortunate to get to know this "complex" man as Monsignor Sandhienrich put it, and enjoyed his company.
   Ken taught me a lot about the "Real World" and the ways of how it worked. He showed how I fit in by comparison and really knew how to read people and understood what they were about. He was a real people person, and I must say, I learned a lot from his people ways and carry them with me today. He was an interesting fella with his peculiar ways and habits, and that's what made him real as a human being, being who he was.
     Perhaps one my favorite stories that Ken recited to me and the OCPL workers was his story of how the teacher in high school wanted the students to put down on paper who they would be if they could be anyone else. Ken repeatedly argued with the teacher as he put himself down on the paper every time. Ken knew that life was about using the hand that was dealt to him. He had to make the most of his hand as one does in poker in order to succeedt. Ken made the most of his hand and lived life to the fullest that he knew.
     I often find myself taking this approach in life; and he provided me with a role model of no matter what you are or who you are, make the most of what you have and go for it in life. Don't wish to be someone else or come up with excuses in life. Just do it within in your abilities of yourself. Ken knew himself and liked himself and would have life no other way; and that is why he argued with the teacher that if he could be anyone else in the world, he still would be himself, Kenneth N. Patrette.
     I would like to dedicate this portion of my website to Kenny and what he meant to me, to keep his spirit alive through memories via pictures, sounds and accounts through others who knew him. 

Thank you,

John J. Curran

Here's some Ken sound clips. I will include more content and pictures when I get a chance. 

	Hear Ken's answering machine whom I will call, Luigi, because he looks like him!!! This is a direct link to a real audio sound clip.
	Hear Luigi's message he left for one of his employers to come to work on 7/6/1998. Another direct link to a real audio clip.

Ken and Monsignor Sandheinrich.

     Monsignor Sandheinrich and Ken ran the parish of the Old Cathedral, The Basilica of St. Louis, The King, downtown St. Louis, MO. But according to the pastor, Monsignor, Ken was the real pastor who got things organized and done when the church needed it. From funerals to weddings to keeping the parking lot and church clean, Ken was there to make sure everything was ready to go.

The Infant of Prague as it stands at the Old Cathedral, St. Louis, MO.

     Ken Patrette had a strong devotion to the Infant of Prague, Baby Jesus. There is a statue of Jesus at the Old Cathedral that Ken made sure was in perfect condition with the right color clothing on for the appropriate time of the Catholic Church year. Obviously, the photo at the top of this page is not a real rendition of the Infant with the Santa hat on it. But nevertheless, Ken's devotion to the Infant was evident through his two trips over to Prague in Europe, to visit the original Infant of Prague.

     Ken was also an avid St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan who owned season tickets for a few decades. Ken also was a jazz band player and fan. In fact, he had his favorite Band, Dixie Land Band, play at his burial, to celebrate New Orleans style. There was also a traditional fancy umbrella dance and champagne drinking. After all was said and done, before his burial, all present were instructed by Ken's wishes to break the champagne glass against his casket. And so it was a happy way to say good bye to our good friend/family member, Ken Patrette. I will post some of these pictures in the future as well if you don't believe this.

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Anthony's Thoughts on Ken
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Subject: Ken: The man, the myth, the legend.
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 12:46:45 CST
From: "Anthony Kuenzel" <tones100@hotmail.com>
To: ivegotthepower

"Hey bud!" Those words began my work days with Ken always. They still ring 
in my ears. Ken is no longer with us but I still feel his lingering presence 
at times. When I saw Ken's beloved B.B. King at the Fox, I could picture Ken 
there, taking in the soulfulness of B.B.'s "The Thrill is Gone." Every time 
I walk in to the conference room I can see him sitting there, talking to me 
about collecting the Cathedral money, or about jazz music, or about OC 
Parking Lot stories. Every time I walk in to Hodak's restaurant and sit down 
and have myself some chicken, I still can see him sitting across from me, 
telling me about life at the Globe, life in jazz, or just life in general. 
His eyes would light up more than people my age. I'm almost nineteen and I 
saw more fire in the eyes of Ken than I've ever seen in any gen-X burnout or 
millenium child. But that's because Ken worked his way to the top the hard 
way, and he truly cared about people, and he did good things, and simply 
enjoyed living. His stories were never larger than life, because he lived 
life large, and he wanted everyone else to do the same. He was always 
enthusiastic about stories you had to tell him, and about adventures that 
you had. He wanted everyone to live the experience like he did. He lived 
hard, and he always had told me he didn't regret a thing he had done in all 
the years he lived. No fear, no regrets, all fire. That was Ken, the scrappy 
little Italian Stallion that stood taller than everyone else.

Anthony
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     If you would like to submit any pictures, information or your experiences/stories with/about Ken, just email webjc@yahoo.com , and I will post it free of charge.