Ken was born in Alameda, CA on January 6, 1944 to Norma and Benny Canepa.  He lived in Oakland, CA where he started school at St. Leo’s in Piedmont, CA.  His family moved to Woodland, CA in 1952 where he attended Holy Rosary Academy and then Woodland High School.  He was very active in school excelling on all the sports teams and serving as Student Body President his senior year.  He graduated in 1962 and then went San Jose State University.  In November of that year he met Nancy Swyney.  She was a senior at Holy Names High School in Oakland.  On August 7, 1965 they were married at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral in Oakland, CA.  After Ken’s graduation from college he and Nancy lived in Stockton, CA for a year and then moved back to San Jose in 1967 for Ken to take a position with the City of San Jose Parks and Recreation Department.  He worked for the City of San Jose in management for 30 years retiring in April of 1997.

Ken and Nancy have two sons:  Mark and John.  Ken was a true family man and loved going to the kid’s soccer games and tournaments, camping and fishing and hosting holiday dinners at their home in San Jose.  Ken had a passion for cooking, gardening and traveling.  He catered many barbecues for the City of San Jose functions and retirement parties.   After retirement, he and Nancy traveled extensively both internationally and domestically.  For pure relaxation they loved extensive stays in Hawaii and the California side of Lake Tahoe. 

Ken was a third generation Californian.  In 2005 he and Nancy moved to Georgetown, TX to be close to their sons and their wives.  That year they welcomed their first and only grandchild, Nicolas.  They had the time of their lives in their new Sun City neighborhood.  Ken loved golf and going to neighborhood functions.

Ken is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, Nancy. He is also survived by his son Mark Canepa and his wife Annalisa, his son John Canepa and his wife Laurie and their son Nicolas, all of Round Rock, TX.  Ken has one sister, Marilyn Smith, of Woodland, CA, and many other relatives in California.  He is predeceased in death by his parents, Norma and Benny Canepa.

Nancy would like to thank her sons, daughters-in-law and grandson for always being there for her and Ken.  She would like to thank Allyssa Martin, C.N.A., for her loving care of Ken since November of 2017.  Thank you to Ken’s many Holy Rosary and Woodland High School friends who kept his spirits up.  Thanks to Ken’s Uncle Don Ferro, 91, for faithfully checking on Ken by phone from Woodland, CA every week.  Nancy would also like to thank Terry Walters and Mary Manis for bringing spiritual comfort to both her and Ken.