Kenneth Hine

A few weeks shy of his 89th birthday, Kenneth R. Hine Jr. died at home on February 20, 2025, surrounded by family. Ken was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1936, the eldest child of Hazel and Kenneth R. Hine Sr. The family moved to Ogden Dunes when Ken was eleven years old, which marked the beginning of a love for the Indiana Dunes. Painter, Cartoonist, Musician, Marine, Photographer, Writer, Art Director, Designer and Professor were some of his many careers. Ken was well read and self-taught.

Ken’s interest in art began in High School when he was befriended by a neighbor Dale Messick, creator of the comic strip Brenda Starr. Ken enlisted in the Marine Corp in 1954, and began his career as an illustrator, cartoonist and designer at Leatherneck Magazine. After discharge Ken worked in Washington DC briefly and was soon recruited to work as an art director for Ladies Home Journal, Time Life Books, and Readers Digest Ken was proud of his work on Condensed Books and Best Loved Books at Reader’ Digest. Later he was Creative Director at Caldwell Communications where he art directed many magazines such as American Way, Creative Living and Sunbound. In the 1970’s he was commissioned by Pearl S. Buck to photograph and raise awareness of the plight of Amerasian children throughout the Far East. Supported by the Pearl Buck Foundation he travelled to Korea, Okinawa, The Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.

Through an illustrator friend, Tom Allen, Ken was recruited by Syracuse University in 1974 to create what became the much-respected Communication Design program. Ken’s love for teaching had always been a part of his life. At all his places of work he loved hiring and teaching young designers fresh out of school. For 30+ years Ken taught his classes, counting the steps he walked between his home on Clarendon Hill and his office. Ken was an advocate of team teaching. Working with John Sellars, he established the Independent Study Degree MFA program, travelling all over the world with students to learn from the best and brightest. Ken was also commissioned for two years to set up the Department of International Programs Abroad (DIPA) for the department of Visual Communication in London, England.

Ken loved his home and neighborhood and was actively involved in creating newsletters and designing t-shirts for the Thornden Park Association, University Neighborhood Preservation Association and the Westcott Cultural Fair. In his final years Ken suffered from Alzheimer’s, and lost sight in both eyes. He hated what he called the “black holes” of memory loss and not being able to read.

Ken is survived by Miranda, his wife of 51 years, five children, Elizabeth Walker (Cresley), ChrisYna Hine, Kenneth Hine, Annabel Obs (Dylan) and Oliver Hine, 18 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, two nieces Mary Wilcox (Michael) and Jenni Caspar (Robert) and many friends, neighbors and colleagues.

A service to celebrate Ken’s extraordinary life will be held in Hendricks Chapel, on Saturday, July 19 at 10 am. In lieu of flowers we ask that donations be made to the Thornden Park Association.