Ken McBride was a silent giver with a larger than life presence that has not faded since his passing on April 13.
As a life-long Magnolia resident, successful business owner and dedicated family man, McBride, 59, was well known in the community for his quiet philanthropy, helping hand and big heart. But McBride was always careful to sidestep accolades for his good deeds; that wasn't his style.
Apart from his generosity, McBride was also known for his drive, passion and humor.
"He truly was a larger than life, full of the dickens, big-hearted man," said Patty McBride, Ken's wife of 40 years. "He walked into a room and it was like he took over the room, but never in a rude way. He was just very gifted at a lot of things and when he came into a room he was a presence always. Whatever he did, he made an impact."
Though McBride had a few passions, like cars and baseball, McBride's sister Julie Green said it didn't really matter what he did because McBride was the kind of a person that, "whatever he go into, he got in with both feet."
That mentality also helped McBride build a successful business, McBride Construction, from scratch more than 30 years ago. Dwight Phillips first met McBride then as his banker for the fledgling company. And after 30 years, the two became close friends.
One thing Phillips learned quickly was that McBride was different than other clients. As the president of a company, Phillips said McBride did not fill the traditional prototype.
"He was forceful, demanding, compassionate, loyal and he required honesty, but he was very fair, too," Phillips said. "He was colorful, unrelenting and compassionate. He taught me so much."
Phillips said McBride was never one to give up on finding an answer to a problem, and through the good and rough times of the company, he put others first. McBride was well known for the Christmas party he hosted every year for his employees and their families, where he gave all the children gifts.
Aside from McBride's drive in his business and personal life, McBride had a knack for connecting with kids; he was a neighborhood staple all the kids flocked to.
"He absolutely loved kids, not just his kids but everybody's kids. He was the captain of Fourth of July," Patty McBride said. "Every kid in the neighborhood knew to come down to our house because my husband would be lighting off fireworks we weren't supposed to be lighting, and he'd give them sparklers. He loved it when people came together, the energy and the laughter."
With his unique outlooks, McBride left a mark on everything he touched. But more than anything, family came first. McBride is survived by fourth-generation Magnolia residents-his sons Connor and Kevin, daughters Kara and Colleen Horn-and his sister, Julie; her husband, John Green; and nephew, Josh Green.
"He was a really dynamic person. Whatever he touched was committed to and he made it successful," Patty McBride said, "but family was always number one."
Even as McBride battled cancer of the esophagus for the past year, Patty said he spent more time worrying about his children and family than he did on the rounds of chemotherapy. McBride also was not the kind of person to bemoan his situation either.
"He took it head on, exactly how he lived life. He didn't look back," Patty McBride said. "He took larger than normal doses of chemo on purpose; he was willing to try all he could. He took it on like the larger-than-life man he always has been."[[In-content Ad]]
