Kenneth G. Bloomquist
December 29, 1931 – August 6, 2021
NORTHPORT – Kenneth G. Bloomquist, 89, of Northport, passed away peacefully Friday, August 6, 2021, at home, with his loving wife, Ann, in his arms.
Ken was born Dec. 29, 1931 on the family farm in Boxholm, Iowa the son of Arvid and Alma Bloomquist. The family moved to Boone, Iowa in 1944, where Ken excelled in the music lessons that would become the foundation for his life’s work.
Ken attended the University of Illinois, where his talent as a trumpet player flourished as the solo cornet in the top band, a member of the symphony orchestra, and performer with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. His trumpet teacher at U of I, Mr. Haskell Sexton, was the director of a church choir in Champaign, Illinois and he “gently” encouraged his students to sing in his choir to bolster the male sections. It was in the choir that he met Annie, his wife-to-be. They were married on February 14, 1954 in Champaign, IL.
Ken graduated from the U of I in spring 1953 and was immediately drafted into the Army, serving until 1955 when his professional career in music began. He was first a high school band director, then moved on to Professor of Trumpet and later Director of Bands at the University of Kansas. While at KU he started a Brass Choir that became a highly renowned and sought-after performing group. In 1964 the Brass Choir, toured Southeast Asia for a four-months representing United States in the Cultural Presentations Program.
In 1970, Ken accepted the position of Director of Bands at Michigan State University, later becoming Director of the School of Music. Ken was the recipient of professional honors too numerous to name, but among his most treasured were admission to the National Bandmasters’ Association Hall of Fame and President of the American Bandmasters Association (ABA). An honor bestowed on only 55 conductors in history, including John Phillip Sousa, was his induction into the ABA Conductors Hall of Fame.
Ken retired from MSU on December 31, 1993 and began his unofficial second career as a guest conductor, clinician and lecturer around the world. He was tapped for multiple years to conduct at Musashino Music Academy in Tokyo, the most prestigious music school in Japan.
He and Annie moved permanently to their vacation home on Lake Michigan in Northport, Michigan in the spring of 1994. They soon realized that they would “flunk” retirement again and became immersed in the development of the musical community in Northport, creating a year-round community band and choir and devoting much of their time to realizing the dream of a performance venue, the Northport Community Arts Center, now the Northport Performing Arts Center, that was built by the community as an addition to the Northport Public School.
Ken loved to travel, to enjoy good food and wine, and to read. He considered having his family and good friends around him the most important thing in his life. He wrote, “My wife, of over 60 years, is my soul mate and best friend in every way. I wish I could live another lifetime because I want to know what’s coming ahead in the world of technology, travel to other galaxies, cures for life threatening illnesses, world relationships, etc. etc. etc. Alas, I guess I’ll have to look down from above, or maybe up from below, to find the answers to these questions.”
Ken is survived by his loving wife of sixty-seven years, Ann Murphy Bloomquist; his children, Leslie (Russell) Knopp, Laurie (Mario) Perez, Daniel (Bonnie) Bloomquist; a sibling, Gary (Beverly) Bloomquist; his grandchildren Chelsea (Jerry) Krueger, Allison (Nathan) Spoelhof, Katie (David) Dewey, Rowland Perez, Ciara (Walker) Glass and Christian Perez, Breanne (Brian) Cremean, Ian Bloomquist, Leah Bloomquist, and great grandchildren Finnegan, Ellie, Brooks, Dylan and Finn.
Due to the ongoing pandemic and related unknowns, a fitting memorial and celebration of Ken’s life will be announced at a future date.
Memorials may be directed to the Kenneth G. Bloomquist Scholarship at Michigan State University.