Obituary for Kenneth Oliver Mesle II
It is with broken hearts and unbearable sadness that the family and friends of Kenneth Oliver Mesle, II, announce his passing on Monday, August 30, 2021 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Kenneth O. Mesle, II (aka KO / KayO) was born on May 2,1981 at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Belleville, Illinois, the birthday gift to his mother, Vickie C. (Klenke) Johnson of Wildwood, Missouri. He was the namesake of his beloved and deceased paternal grandfather, Kenneth Oliver Mesle. His biological father is Kenneth H. Mesle of Highland, Illinois.
Ken attended Eureka High School and graduated from Highland High School in 1999. He earned his B.S. in Architecture from University of Illinois in 2003. He was very proud to have earned his CPMP certification in 2017 and was employed at the State of Illinois Capital Development Board in Springfield, Illinois, for most of his career. He recently relocated to St. Louis to be closer to his family.
Ken will always be remembered as a man with a great sense of humor, a man of MANY and BIG words, and for his love of family and animals (primarily dogs). He was rescued by and became the proud dad of his fur babies, Oliver and Hopper.
He loved sports, played soccer, football and baseball as a young man, and was on the inaugural hockey team his senior year at Highland High School. He loved the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues, particularly Ozzie Smith and FredBird. He truly enjoyed spending time with his family boating at Kentucky Lake and at the family cabin on Long Lake in Longville, Minnesota. Ken was a MacGyver “wannabe” and could fix almost anything or at least get it to work 97% of the time.
Preceded in death by his great grandparents, all his grandparents, Elmer Klenke, Marjorie (Klenke) Kline, Hubert and Marlys Johnson, Kenneth Oliver and Phyllis Mesle, Dorothy Niggli, along with his Uncle Keith Klenke, Ken is survived by his loving parents, Vickie (Klenke) and Greg Johnson of Wildwood, Missouri, sisters, Christiana and Morgan Mesle, his stepdaughter, Mattea Berry-Mesle, his fur-baby, Hopper and many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Arrangements are being handled by Kalmer Memorial Services in Lebanon, Illinois. A semi-private service celebrating Ken’s (KO’s) life will be held at 7 PM on Friday, September 10th with visitation at 6 PM and following the service at Salem United Church of Christ in Alhambra, IL.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Kenneth O. Mesle, II’s honor to:
Gateway Foundation, Springfield, IL (www.gatewayfoundation.org)
Benld Adopt-A-Pet (www.benldadoptapet.org)
Salem UCC Church, Alhambra, IL (https://salemuccalh.org)
Kenneth O. Mesle, II (aka KO / KayO) was born on May 2,1981 at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Belleville, Illinois, the birthday gift to his mother, Vickie C. (Klenke) Johnson of Wildwood, Missouri. He was the namesake of his beloved and deceased paternal grandfather, Kenneth Oliver Mesle. His biological father is Kenneth H. Mesle of Highland, Illinois.
Ken attended Eureka High School and graduated from Highland High School in 1999. He earned his B.S. in Architecture from University of Illinois in 2003. He was very proud to have earned his CPMP certification in 2017 and was employed at the State of Illinois Capital Development Board in Springfield, Illinois, for most of his career. He recently relocated to St. Louis to be closer to his family.
Ken will always be remembered as a man with a great sense of humor, a man of MANY and BIG words, and for his love of family and animals (primarily dogs). He was rescued by and became the proud dad of his fur babies, Oliver and Hopper.
He loved sports, played soccer, football and baseball as a young man, and was on the inaugural hockey team his senior year at Highland High School. He loved the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues, particularly Ozzie Smith and FredBird. He truly enjoyed spending time with his family boating at Kentucky Lake and at the family cabin on Long Lake in Longville, Minnesota. Ken was a MacGyver “wannabe” and could fix almost anything or at least get it to work 97% of the time.
Preceded in death by his great grandparents, all his grandparents, Elmer Klenke, Marjorie (Klenke) Kline, Hubert and Marlys Johnson, Kenneth Oliver and Phyllis Mesle, Dorothy Niggli, along with his Uncle Keith Klenke, Ken is survived by his loving parents, Vickie (Klenke) and Greg Johnson of Wildwood, Missouri, sisters, Christiana and Morgan Mesle, his stepdaughter, Mattea Berry-Mesle, his fur-baby, Hopper and many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Arrangements are being handled by Kalmer Memorial Services in Lebanon, Illinois. A semi-private service celebrating Ken’s (KO’s) life will be held at 7 PM on Friday, September 10th with visitation at 6 PM and following the service at Salem United Church of Christ in Alhambra, IL.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Kenneth O. Mesle, II’s honor to:
Gateway Foundation, Springfield, IL (www.gatewayfoundation.org)
Benld Adopt-A-Pet (www.benldadoptapet.org)
Salem UCC Church, Alhambra, IL (https://salemuccalh.org)