Kenneth Lee Perales passed away October 2, 2024, after a short illness. On April 22, 1948, Ken was born to Betty (Eisenbarger) and Earl Perales in Casper, Wyoming. He was educated in Casper schools and attended Casper College.

In 1967 he enlisted in the Army and served 4 years in the Army Security Agency, a United States Army and National Security Agency signals intelligence and electronic warfare organization. He was assigned to Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, for basic training and there met his future wife on a blind date. After basic, he went to Fort Devens, Massachusetts, for training as a High Speed Morse Intercept Operator. In Vietnam he served with the 175th (Radio Research) Battalion, the 144th Avn Co. 224th Avn Bat, (Radio Research) Airborne Radio Direction Finding Flight Crew. The remainder of his service was at Vint Hill Farms Station near Warrenton, Virginia.

Ken was deeply patriotic. He flew his father-in-law's flag on holidays and annually watched White Christmas , the story of an entire division of men who reunite to support the retired general who commanded them during WWII. He found the camaraderie he experienced during his active duty in that movie and in his membership in Rosenberg's VFW Post 3903.

Ken loved music, a passion that stemmed from his early years as a musician. He was a proud member of the Casper Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps, a youth organization competing with other corps across America. Playing the French horn in his school band led to three years serving as its drum major.

Aside from being a musician, he was also a trained florist and a Deputy Sheriff in Natrona County, Wyoming. He found his eventual career when he started working for Sperry Sun, an oil field support company, now a Halliburton company. During his time in the energy industry, he traveled to every continent except Antarctica. The locations he found most interesting were the Amazon rainforest, Scandanavia, Egypt, and Japan, his favorite. In Japan he worked in rural areas with small hotels. One time he packed everything except the perishables to make fajitas. He purchased the rest at a market and cooked for everyone at the hotel. Another time he introduced the guests and staff to toast and to the Smuckers red raspberry preserves he had brought with him. Both the fajitas and the toast made a big hit.

Creating delicious food was another of Ken's passions. After expressing his desire to learn to cook, his wife taught him the basics. He became the favorite cook in the house by treating his family to original creations and recipes from Bon Apetit . Boardinghouse Meat Pie is now a family favorite Christmas tradition. Coworkers loved sampling his Christmas cookie and cheesecake creations. Friends receiving loaves of sourdough bread often requested two loaves the following year, one to share with family and one to hide for themselves.

Ken's curiosity, persistence, patience, and attention to detail made him a problem solver. He looked at problems differently from most people. If the challenge interested him, he would roam the aisles of Lowe's until he assembled an assortment of plumbing, lighting, and hardware items generally unintended for his purpose. Ingenuity and tinkering more often than not led to a creative and effective solution. In fact, of the two US patents Ken holds, one was invented in the family spa with plastic pipe and other assorted Lowe's items.

Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Amalie (Amy); daughter Lea Anne Perales; son Richard K. Perales and wife Elizabeth (Liz); grandchildren Matthew Stefan and fiancé Allison Plants, Mark Stefan, Laura Stefan, Richard L. Perales, and Emma Perales; and sister Becky Wilkins and husband Jack.

Inurnment will be in Houston National Cemetery at 1:15 p.m. on July 11, 2025, at 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston TX 77038.

Condolence messages may be written for the Perales family at www.garmanycarden.com

Services are under the direction of Garmany & Carden Funeral Directors, 1201 4th Street, Rosenberg, TX 77471 (281)342-4671.