Kenneth Mark Koonce

Kenneth Mark Koonce, resident of the Somerville Community, broadcaster for WKNO Public Broadcasting in Memphis and husband of Cheryl Gammel Koonce departed this life Monday afternoon, January 21, 2013 at his residence on Feathers Chapel Drive. He was 44 years of age and died following an extended illness.

Celebration of Life Services for Mr. Koonce was conducted at 2 P.M. Saturday, January 26th at the Peebles West Funeral Chapel at Oakland. Personal reflections and remarks were given by Debbie Smith and Kip Cole. Interment will be private and arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes &  Cremation Center – West Chapel at Oakland.

Mr. Koonce was born October 26, 1968 in Lawton, Oklahoma to Jayme Koonce Story and the late Kenneth Doyle Koonce. Mark graduated from Eisenhower High School in 1987. He was elected student government representative from his class. He was a history buff and received honorable mention for an academic research paper on D-Day.

He was a member and officer of the Lawton Chapter of DeMolays. During his membership they won Chapter of the Year in Oklahoma and placed fourteenth internationally. He also attended the DeMolay Leadership Conference in Flagstaff, Arizona.

He graduated from Cameron University in 1993 with a degree in Communications and a degree in Political Science. He was one of the students who helped build and sign on KCCU Radio and was instrumental in expanding the services to Ardmore and Altus in Oklahoma. He was the first student Production Manager, the second Student Manager and formed the Development office of KCCU Radio. He was a Senator in the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature while at Cameron University and was elected Student Government Representative. He was the first student to win three Fine Arts awards at Cameron University.

As a teenager he worked at KSWO Radio/TV and KLAW. He also worked in Houston, Texas and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. At the time of his illness he was working for WKNO-TV in Memphis. He was married December 17, 2011 to the former Cheryl Gammel of Fayette County, who survives.

At the age of 10, Mr. Koonce survived Steven-Johnston Syndrome which is almost always fatal. He volunteered with Special Olympics and the American Cancer Society. He also performed random acts of kindness that very few people knew about.

What a blessing he had been to all who knew him. He was a bright spot in our lives of his family and friends and will be remembered for his sense of humor and his positive attitude, traits that helped Mr. Koonce and his family to cope with this most devastating disease. Mr. Koonce was an avid Pittsburgh Steelers and Oklahoma Sooners fan.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Koonce is survived by two stepchildren, India Gammel Burgess (Kendall), Kenneth Michael Gammel; his mother and stepfather, Russ and Jayme Story of Collierville; his sister, Kim Koonce Barker (Robert) of Dallas, TX; two grandmothers, Ontee Gilmore of Murfreesboro, TN, Vasca Westbrook of Benton, AR; two nieces, Dylan Smith, Avery Smith; and his nephew, Quentin J. Smith.

The family requests that memorials be directed to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.