William Kenneth Usher

William Kenneth “Ken” Usher, 80, passed away peacefully at Amorem Hospice in Hudson, North Carolina on December 31, 2025, with his wife Nancy by his side. 

Ken is survived and missed by Nancy his current and devoted wife of 36 years. He is also survived by his two daughters from his first marriage, Mary Katherine “Katie” Blankenship (Jim) and Yvonne “Evie” Bennett and grandchildren Jacob Thornton “Thor” Blankenship (Cassidy), Kayla Hersey, Brittany Canada and Jasmine McKiddy and seven great-grandchildren and niece Devon Polo and great-nephew Austin Polo. 

Ken was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on March 22, 1945. He was adopted from the Red Feather Orphanage in Toronto by RCAF Major Wellington James Usher and Edna Bernard Usher. He and his parents relocated to Ft. Pierce, Florida where Ken graduated high school with awards in track and field 100m and 400m sprints and played varsity football. Ken graduated from the University of South Florida with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Anthropology and Zoology. He had varied interests and worked at a variety of occupations, including hospital orderly while contemplating medical school, employee of the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory and Stauffer Chemical Plant and the Florida Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole Division in Tampa. He then spent 27 years as a Liability Insurance Claims Specialist in Miami before retiring and moving with Nancy to his beloved Western North Carolina High Country in 2011.

Ken will be remembered by family and friends as an outdoorsman and nature lover who enjoyed running, playing tennis and racquetball, canoeing, hiking, bird watching and traveling. He was an avid reader. He also thoroughly enjoyed playing various card games with friends and family and watching Gator football. He adored his numerous family pets, most recently his two feline boys, Junior and Socks who brought him much joy. 

An outdoor celebration of life to honor a life well-lived will be planned once the North Carolina weather permits. Donations may be made to Amorem of North Carolina, or the Hospice Foundation of America, or the Avery County Humane Society. The family would like to thank all of the numerous and dedicated doctors, nurses and caregivers at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Watauga Medical Center, Seby B. Jones Cancer Center and Robbin’s Center-Forlines Patient Care Hospice Unit for their compassionate care. 

Wishing Ken a “Peaceful Easy Feeling”.