(From the Janesville Messenger, 1-6-08)
Sometimes a person is so much larger than life that it seems unfathomable that he could suddenly not be there.
The person I’m speaking of, of course, is Ken Hendricks. The reaction to his sudden and tragic passing was unlike anything I can recall in the Rock County area. This was no wealthy, miserly Scrooge who in Christmas Future saw no one moved at all by his passing. This was someone who used his hard-earned gains to better the people and community that he loved so much.
I knew Ken, though not well. We had crossed paths several times, mainly through our association with Forward Janesville. I found him to be exactly as every other writer has described him in the last couple of weeks. Driven, unpretentious, visionary, down-to-earth, remarkable.
Ken once told me that if I ever ran for political office, he would contribute to my campaign. To this day, that comment floors me. I suspect that Ken may not have been so eager to back my candidacy if he was aware of some of my political opinions. Still, to even have him think that of me was an incredibly high compliment.
In the end, I wish circumstances had allowed me to know Ken better. When you’re around people like him, it inspires you to do more, be more. And Ken was an incredibly inspiring individual. He encouraged people with his example, claiming that if he could do it, anyone could. Despite his enormous success, he never forgot who he was and where he came from. Instead, he reveled in it. How many billionaires do you see at the local Friday fish fry?
Ken’s success could not be stopped, as Janesville’s business community found out. Early in his career ascent, some local business leaders didn’t like this young non-Country Club upstart muscling in on their territory and tried to thwart his budding success. Beloit, on the other hand, welcomed him with open arms. It was one of the best decisions that community ever made, leading to a grateful Ken paying Beloit back a thousand fold with his various economic development projects and acts of philanthropy. Eventually, Janesville reached out to Ken and massaged the wounds of the past, after missing out on 20 years of what might have been.
There is a saying that states, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Ken used his power to create jobs, revitalize buildings, and help people make their way up. But he didn’t do it because he had to; he did it because he wanted to.
Last year, I was at the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce dinner when Ken received an honor from the chamber. Here’s a guy who has a room full of accolades, including Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year. To a lot of folks, a little chamber honor would be meaningless compared to all of the other honors he had received. But not Ken. Not only was he there, but he also seemed genuinely touched by the award.
After the event, I had my last real conversation with him. As I sometimes do with people I greatly respect, I addressed him as “Mr. Hendricks,” which he put the kibosh to in a hurry. The gist of our talk was that I thanked him for everything he had done for the community. Not surprisingly, he was extremely humble in accepting the compliment.
If there is one lesson we can take from the life of Ken Hendricks, it’s that we should use what we have to make things better. Ken was able to do much because he had the financial resources. But Ken didn’t just throw money at a problem; he got personally involved.
Even if we never achieve the financial success that Ken did, we can still find ways to help others in our community. Sometimes, all we can afford is our time. Sometimes, that’s enough.
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