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TO
OUR SHREW Let
there be laughter Let there be tears Written
by: Christine Louise Hutchinson |
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Ken Engle, friend and Director of The Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire, died from complications after the successful removal of a blood clot on the brain, which was discovered one day before his passing. He is remembered as a loving but crusty old soul with a wonderfully wicked twinkle in his eye, admirably extreme faithfulness to his wife, Leslie - The Shrew - Engle, our other Director of SRF. Ken would wander around the gorgeous fairesite, although this year with a cane and often rested on a haybale, a rolled up roll of jute fencing, or a bucket, and would take in the glory of the land - like a master of his domain. His look would say "This is good!" Although humor was frequent, his definitive attitude would sometimes have some wonder if he was a defensive curmungeon...he just knew what he wanted and needed and knew how to let it be known...he knew the timeline in order to complete the task. Ken and Leslie are dedicated, long term, faire participants, it is in their blood. They strive to share the importance of accurate "FairePlay" and enjoy that part of our world history. For that I thank them. Ken is probably directing a baudy skit up in heaven now in full regalia. Well, KEN I give you my fond farewell and salute you - "Hip Hip Hazzah"...and know that all of us will be as one again. See you later. AND to dear Leslie, who is stoic, and keeping a stiff upper lip, she knows that she is loved by so many although not as comforting or complete than that of the love and touch of her husband. Fellow faire family members will rally to Shrew's side and will assist her in anything she needs to get done. AND NOW, the time is here to say See Ya Later one and all. Time to pack the van and travel out of town to share hugs tears laughter memories. Many
of us joined in spirit forever, MORE: I have a pic of Ken Engle on a tractor. Given that this wonderful man was always, all ways, working the field it captures him in a true form. It is supposed to be pouring rain, very dark on Saturday. BUT we will lift our hearts up, celebrate his life in song, feast, and stories. Mine is, and at our last staff meeting when both Shrew and Count attended, I made a side comment to Count about what I did in contributing with him to the miscalculation. The funny story: It is very important to get the proper surveying of the land done in a timely manner and to be accurate. We have always been short handed at our work parties with getting the arena weedwacked (along with other areas) and putting numbered ribboned/wooden stakes in where the booths are going to be. There are many rules/regulations that we have to attend to in order to please the county,city and state. My son, Taylor and I were lifting up parts of fences in order to clear the brush from in/out the fence line. Count was proceeding with the surveying but got to a point where he needed a body to hold this tall white pole that, I think, was to mark the half way point from one side of the multi acreage to the other. From the other side of our beautiful faire site it looked to be on target. I felt like a warrior holding the staff about to declare I had conquered the battle. Our dear Count came up and said we are right, the post goes where I had held it for I don't know how long. At our staff meeting, one of our fellow staffers said that a measurement was off by 80 feet. (or was it 8 feet) Anyway, I asked Count, so that was the pole I was keeping upright...YEP. I guess one had to be there to see and hear the full funnyness of it all, the teasing and smiles that came with it. I am having one of the faire children writing me who is finding it hard to cry from the passing. He is very sad, gets misty eyed, but says he is not the emotional type, although he says that when we all gather, with our parents, and other faire family, and community members and politicians, and their children....that tears from our eyes will match the tears falling from the sky. There must be a mighty fine HipHip Hazzah celebration going on up in Heaven. The revelry will continue. I hope that there will be spoken word at the arena shows (we have four of them) (Knights on horseback/jousting) before the shows goes on next year and that I can be sidetracked from my staff duties to be one of the folks to proclaim loudly to the masses the tribute to The Count. In memory of Ken Engle, Christine |