Kenneth James Jensen

Ken Jensen, age 67, of Oregon, WI, passed away peacefully at home on December 19th, 2025, after an 8-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Born in 1958 in Ada, MN, to LaVonne and Kermit Jensen, Ken enjoyed a lively childhood with his siblings, Carol, Keith, and Christy. He grew up in Ada, MN, and Fargo, ND. Ken graduated from Fargo North High School, where he was involved in sports, music, theater, and various shenanigans with good friends. After high school, he attended the University of MN Technical College in Crookston, MN, majoring in hospitality management.

Ken married Patricia (Trish) Jensen in 1981. For the first 8 years of their marriage, they traveled and lived in many places, including Vancouver, British Columbia, Seattle, Tacoma, and Minneapolis. The best part of Ken’s life began with the births of his sons, Alex and Ryan. He loved attending their orchestra events (even when he complained about “dead guy” music), soccer games, cross-country ski events, and celebrated all of their milestones. He was so proud of them and frequently bragged about them to friends and family. Ken earned his favorite title of all time, Grandpa, in 2023. He loved his grandsons with all his heart.

Ken had many hobbies over the years, including hunting, fishing, skiing, golfing, and cooking. He was a scratch golfer and especially enjoyed golf trips with good friends and his golf groups in Alexandria, MN, and Goodyear, AZ. One of the highlights of his golfing was a hole-in-one at the Geneva Golf Course in 2016. Ken’s cooking skills were legendary, and he loved making delicious meals for family and friends.

Ken retired in 2022 after a long career in the restaurant industry. Beginning at age 16 as a cook in the Fargo, ND area, he went on to become a manager, district manager, managing partner, restaurant owner, and, just before retiring, managed the food service operations at Ottawa University in Surprise, AZ.

Ken is survived by his wife Trish, sons Alex (Brittany) and Ryan (Katie), two grandsons, and siblings Carol, Keith (Kari), and Christy (Garrett). He was preceded in death by his mother, LaVonne, father, Kermit, stepfather, Al, and his grandparents.

A celebration of life will be held in the Minneapolis area in the summer of 2026, and details will be shared at a later time. Family and friends are invited to gather, share memories, and honor Ken’s life. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the following organizations or a charity of your choosing.

PanCan (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network): https://pancan.org/ways-to-give/

Project Purple: https://www.projectpurple.org/ways-to-give/

UW Health, Carbone Cancer Center: https://secure.supportuw.org/give/?custom=med04&group=carbone

Gilda’s Club of Madison, WI: https://www.gildasclubmadison.org/ways-give/donate

Cremation services:

Informed Choice Funerals