October 28, 1954 - November 7, 2022

Ken Manson, age 68, of North Riverside, born October 28, 1954 and died November 7, 2022.  

Ken was the son of the late Robert E. Manson and the late Ruth Manson, dear husband of Debra Lipinski; dear brother of Leslie Manson, John (Liz) Manson and Bill (Sarah Gadelha) Manson; dear brother-in-law of Dave (Karen) Lipinski; dear uncle of Aubrey (Dimitri) Marchenko, Lisa (Brian) Christensen, Ashley (fiancée Andrew) Lipinski and Eric (Lauren) Lipinski. Proud great uncle of Billie Ruth and Arthur Christenson.

Ken was born in Chicago and attended grade school at Byf ord, in the Austin neighborhood, walking distance from the Oak Park History Museum where he was part of a team advocating for a permanent exhibit honoring the memory of native Oak Park author Edgar Rice Burroughs. Ken was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the Burroughs Bibliophiles organization. He attended Lane Tech High School and graduated from Morton West High School, just recently attended their 50th Reunion. He graduated from Northern Illinois University in journalism, which he loved. Though Ken and Debbie are newlyweds, they have been friends and colleagues both at Morton College and NIU as well as the Life Newspapers. Ken worked as a newspaper editor for years at Life Newspapers in Berwyn and Oak Brook, 26 years in total. He received multiple awards from state and suburban news organizations, including the Northern Illinois Newspaper Association and the Suburban Press Club of Chicago for the categories of Best News Story and Editorials. A lifelong science and speculative fiction fan, collector, and scholar, Ken shared his interest with others by initiating, organizing, and running the West Suburban Science Fiction Society in the 1970s. One of, if not the first, major science fiction club holding regular meetings in the Chicago area, Society members gathered in a colorful and beloved used bookstore on Oak Park Avenue near the expressway in Oak Park, and shared stories, books, films and wide-ranging discussions about authors and their work. Many Society members became long-time friends and attended events and conventions together, and several became authors, researchers, and promoters of the genre. As a freelance writer in recent years, Ken stated "I write anything that is asked of me, and anything that I think is interesting." Ken was very proud of his Scandinavian heritage. Visitation will be held on Monday, November 14, 2022 from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main Street, Lombard. Prayer Service will be held on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 9:30 AM at the funeral home, followed by a Funeral Service at 10:00 AM at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 1025 E. Madison, Lombard. Interment to follow at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside.