SOUTH PORTLAND – Kenneth S. Cleaves, a longtime resident of South Portland, died Nov. 16, 2007, at Sedgewood Commons. Ken was born Sept. 30, 1912, in Bar Harbor, the son of George and Isabel Cleaves. He attended Bar Harbor schools and was a graduate of civil engineering from the University of Maine in 1934. On Oct. 13, 1934, he married his high school sweetheart, Adelaide Jordan. Ken and Adelaide and their three children resided in Bar Harbor until 1955, when they moved to South Portland. In 1935, through World War II, Ken worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, building dams and air bases in New England. In 1947, he joined Warren Bros. Roads Co., as a survey engineer in the Portland area and subsequently moved up to regional vice president, covering all of New England, plus New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. After his retirement in 1978, Ken turned his efforts to volunteer work in the service of the poor and hungry, including Literacy Volunteers at the Maine Youth Center, Meals on Wheels, Project Feed, West End Pantry, annual CROP Walks, Hand to Hand, Presiding Bishops Fund for World Relief and the Portland West Neighborhood Planning Council, as well as less visible, but equally caring, assistance to individuals and organizations in the community. In 1983, Ken founded St. Luke’s Soup Kitchen, in order to provide weekend meals so no one would go hungry from Friday until Monday. Originally located at the parish hall at St. Luke’s Cathedral, the soup kitchen is now located at Preble Street Resource Center, Portland. In 1992, Ken’s preferred anonymity came to an end when he received the Jefferson Award, an honor bestowed by the American Institute for Public Service on individuals in recognition of extraordinary public service. When Ken and his family moved to South Portland in 1955, he became an active and devoted member of St. Luke’s Cathedral, where he served as vestry member, senior warden and member of the Diocesan Council for many years. Throughout this time, he also served as trustee of diocesan funds of the Episcopal Church of the Diocese of Maine and also as treasurer of that group. Ken was predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Adelaide “Liz”; his two brothers, Henry Cleaves and George Cleaves; and his sister, June Smith. He is survived by his daughter, Erla Davis of South Portland; his son, Dana Cleaves and his wife, Debi, of Scarborough; his daughter, Carlyn Watts and her husband, Martin, of Otisfield; grandchildren, Jon Cleaves and his wife, Theresa, of Lansing, Kan.; Melissa Cleaves Rich and her husband, Todd, of Long Island, N.Y.; Kate Cleaves of Scarborough; Zachary Cleaves of Portland; Mark Davis of Toronto, Canada; Rachel Davis of Toronto; Darren Watts and his companion, Diane Levinson, of New York City; Jodi Roma and her husband, Troy, of Cape Elizabeth; 10 great-grandchildren, two great- great-grandchildren; a nephew, David Cleaves of Bar Harbor; a niece, Sarah Cleaves of Bar Harbor; and a nephew, John Smith of Iowa. The family would like to thank the staff of the Millay Unit at Sedgewood Commons for their care for Ken during the last few years. A burial office and requiem Eucharist will be celebrated 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, at Cathedral Church of St. Luke, State Street, Portland. Interment will be in the spring at Ledgelawn Cemetery, Bar Harbor. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Luke’s Soup Kitchen, care of Cathedral Church of St. Luke, 143 State St., Portland, ME 04101. Arrangements are by Conroy-Tully Crawford South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway, South Portland. Online condolences may be expressed at www.ctcrawford.com.
KENNETH S. CLEAVES
