Ken Starkweather – Volunteer Lifesaver
Talk about a small world. During an emergency response call for his wife, Betty, George Clark, a Dow Western retiree, was relieved at a record four-minute response time and pleasantly surprised when former co-worker Ken Starkweather led the team.
“I had not seen him since Dow days,” said Clark, who very much appreciated having “an old Dow friend suddenly show up at this remote location to help us in this very emotional and trying time.”
Ken Starkweather is a retiree of Dow Western, and he now resides on Whidbey Island (Freeland, Washington), where he has served for the past 10 years as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician. He is a lieutenant in the district’s medical service.
Volunteers are essential to the district, and Ken was recently honored at a banquet for many outstanding contributions. He was named the Overall Firefighter of the Year and received two awards: the Freeland station’s Firefighter of the Year and the Star of Life for most inspirational paramedic.