Kenny Ray Ratzlaff

Graveside Services for Kenny Ratzlaff, 73, Bangor, MI resident will be held 10:00 A.M., Saturday, July 24, 2021 in the Mennonite Brethren Cemetery in Corn, OK, officiated by Jack Sawatzky and under the direction of the Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home. Kenny Ray Ratzlaff was born September of 1947 to ElRoy Harvey Ratzlaff and Erma Jean Ratzlaff in Cordell, OK and passed away Sunday, July 11, 2021 surrounded by family. A few days before Christmas in 1966 in Liberal, KS, he married the love of his life – his “dear” – Patty Koehn. The tow of them would spend the next 54 years side-by-side, partners in all things. Kenny was the founder and president of Beacon Specialized Living Services, serving individuals with intellectual disabilities and mental health needs from 1998 until his passing. He was active in numerous Michigan State Boards and community advisory panels. He was a member of the Gideons International, speaking to churches around Southwest Michigan for over a decade. He served on the board of Evangelical Mission Ministries for over 25 years. Most importantly, he was a rock to his wife, a loving father, and an adventurous grandfather. Kenny had deep compassion and care for all people he tirelessly advocated for those with mental health needs. He loved to travel – especially by train and found and affinity for collecting train memorabilia. Everything in his life was driven by his love for Jesus and his desire to see others find that love in their own lives. Kenny is survived by his wife – Patty: children Nathan and Kent and wife, Jennavieve; mother – Erma; siblings - Bob and Jean and grandchildren – Katlyn, Broc and Aden. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Kalamazoo Gospel Ministries at htt://www.kzoogospel.org of The Gideons International at https://gideions.org in Kenny’s honor. Kindly share your thoughts and memories on the family’s online guest book at www.FilbrandtFFH.com. Memorial Slideshow: https://youtu.be/AJgjV2x1QVY