Kenneth Francis Parzygnat (Ken), 71, of Raleigh, North Carolina passed away on Thursday, October 9, 2014 at Wake Med Hospital due to complications from acute pancreatitis. Ken is survived by his wife Marsha, sons Mark and Ken, daughter-in-laws Kathy and Barbara, and grandchildren Casey, Kim, Ashley, Jessica and James. Ken is also survived by his brothers Frank and Larry and sister Florence Eckl.

Ken was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. As a boy, Ken loved speed skating and fishing. Some of his first jobs included being a mail boy, working at the Stop and Shop, and working in a bank. He attended the University of Illinois and DeVry University and used that education to land a career with IBM where he worked for 35 years.

Ken could fix anything. He was an electrician, a plumber, a carpenter, and mechanic all rolled into one. When he fixed something around the house, it had to be perfect. Also, he was a valuable resource for his boys for fixing things around their houses. Ken ran a small engine repair shop out of his shed where he fixed outboard motors and lawn mowers and usually only charged what the parts cost him.

Ken's passion for 'B' rated movies is well known and is evident from his collection of over 200 of these movies on VCR tapes. Ken's sense of humor was second none, and he loved to make people laugh, as well as laugh himself. Ken also loved Polish food, Chicago pizza, and White Castle hamburgers. In fact, he took Marsha to White Castle on their first date.

Above all else, Ken was a strong family man. Family was always his top priority regardless of what else was happening. His family loves him dearly and will miss him tremendously until we meet again. Until then, we know that Ken will be watching over us.

Finally, the family would like to thank the staff of Wake Med Hospital for their excellent care and support during Ken's final days.

Donations may be made in lieu of flowers to the American Heart Association at www.heart.org or the American Diabetes Association at www.diabetes.org.