The oldest of the five children born to Kenneth Jack Neil Sr. and Helen Marie Johnson while his father was attending BYU. After Kenneth Sr. rejoined the Air Force, Ken grew up where his father was stationed, including: Oregon, Canada, Florida, Hawaii, Texas, Alaska, California and Colorado. When his dad finally retired from the Air Force, he moved the family to Utah, where Ken attended high school, graduating from Pleasant Grove High School in 1975. When Ken was in 2nd and 3rd grade his mother had her children to Mexico to live with her parents in Colonia Juarez (Mormon Colonies), while his father was assigned to a remote location in Alaska for 18 months. This time period was one of the highlights of Ken's life, where he enjoyed the supportive environment of his grandparents and learned a little about his grandfather’s peach orchards, and where he came to know and enjoy his many cousins. Of everywhere he lived, however, Ken loved Colorado the most. A memorable time of his life was the summer he spent during high school in Ashton, ID, with his Egbert cousins moving irrigation pipe in the potato fields. He came back from that summer tan and in shape from the experience. After graduating from high school, Ken served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two years in Denver, then attended Trade Tech in Provo to study carpentry. He worked several jobs in Utah, then returned to Colorado, where he eventually met a lady in church named Barbara Jeanne Merrell. On July 20, 1999, he and Barbara were married at Denver City County Building. On November 11, 2001, their marriage was sealed in the Denver Temple. Barbara was the center of Ken’s life. As she developed serious health problems, he focused on her care. When he learned that knitting and crochet was a therapy, he made sure she always had yarn on hand. Attending church was always an important part of Ken and Barbara’s life. The kindness of fellow ward members enabled them to do so regularly even when they had no car.