Kenneth J. Marshal: Legacy of service

By Manuel C. "Manny" Correira
Posted 6/20/16

There are many ways I can dissect the extraordinary life of the late Kenneth J. Marshall. He meant so much to so many people in this community. His obituary doesn’t tell the whole …

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Kenneth J. Marshal: Legacy of service

Posted

There are many ways I can dissect the extraordinary life of the late Kenneth J. Marshall. He meant so much to so many people in this community. His obituary doesn’t tell the whole story.

Most folks in this town remember Ken for his unselfish contributions to his native Bristol, most notably from his many years of service in political arena as a town councilman. He wasn’t afraid to make decisions. He never backed down from a good argument, even if he was outnumbered. He always called a spade a spade and was a man of conviction.

For more, read Mr. Marshall's obituary here.

I knew Ken most of my life. We were youngsters who used to patrol the old Union Street/Cooke Street neighborhood looking for games to play, baseball cards to trade and friends to meet. Together with his older brothers, Richard A. “Foxy” Marshall and Eddie Marshall, our families became very close. Being of Italian-Portuguese descent made it easy.

“Those were such great years,” Ken once told me. “Growing up in this town was really special.”

Ken Marshall came from a family whose athletic background was well-documented, beginning with his dad, John “Foxy” Marshall, whose penchant for allegedly throwing a spitball on a regular basis in the old Bristol Twilight Baseball League on the Town Common was the subject of many discussions by some of the old-timers.

Then, there was oldest brother, Richard “Foxy” Marshall (no-one ever called him by his real first name, except his mother), one of the greatest fast-pitch softball players in Bristol history, who later became even more legendary as the Hall of Fame Super Bowl winning coach at Warren High School, and later at Portsmouth High.

Not to be out-done, Ken created his own sports legacy by resurrecting American Legion baseball in Bristol to the tune of five Division championships, and two state crowns in 1982 and 1983. He loved the game of baseball and did everything in his power to bring it back to the point where fans could be proud again.

As a youngster, Ken followed his brothers’ lead as a newspaper carrier for both the Bristol Phoenix and Providence Journal. That was during a time when the Phoenix published twice a week (Tuesdays and Fridays) and the Journal printed daily papers with morning and evening editions. Ken used to tell how heavy those newspaper bags were on his bicycle as he flipped folded papers from the roadway to neighborhood front doors.

This was also a time when young Kenny would enter the town’s end-of-summer blueberry pie-eating contest on the Town Common. Known for his voracious appetite, Ken usually put away pie-eating opponents with relative ease in just a few bites. He was also well-prepared for this event because his mother, Anna (Tamburro) Marshall, was known for her culinary expertise, especially in the local school cafeteria, where she helped cook for Kenny and his friends during lunchtime. As some of his old friends have pointed out, lunch was Kenny’s favorite subject during the school day.

“I don’t know who consumed more food in the lunchroom back then, Kenny or his classmate, Mike Murgo,” recalled longtime friend Jere Russo.

Ken Marshall loved the Fourth of July. He was a life member of the Fourth of July Committee and, in 1990, received the town’s highest honor when he was selected Chief Marshal of the Fourth of July Parade. He also served as parade chairman for four years and was always on the lookout to help make the parade better any way he could.

An accomplished professional musician, Ken played sax and keyboard as only he could play it. He had a pretty good singing voice, as well. He was particularly adept at mimicking the famed organist, Dave “Baby” Cortez, whose “The Happy Organ” and “Rinky Dink,” were two of Ken’s most popular pieces.

Ken’s community contributions were many. He was honored by many organizations for his good deeds and hard work. But, of all the enjoyment he had during his 73 years on this planet, the one thing the pleased him most was the endearing relationship he had with his wife Donna (to whom he was married to for 50 years), and the love of his three sons (Wayne, Keith and Ken, Jr.) and four grandchildren (Emily Rose, James E., Jake K. and Nathan C. Marshall).

Kenneth J. Marshall died peacefully at home on June 11 after a serious bout with cancer, surrounded by those he loved most. All of the awards; all of the honors; all of the many friends he made throughout his life are just part of his legacy … a legacy that most assuredly will never be replicated. He will be sadly missed.

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