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Kenneth D. "Ken" Shaheen, age 95, passed away September 6, 2025 at Regent Park Assisted Living Facility following a prolonged illness.

Ken was born August 28, 1930, in North Platte, NE, the youngest of ten children born to Mike and Mabel Shaheen. He graduated from Wichita North High School in 1947, attended the University of Wichita earning a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education in 1952 and a Master's Degree in Music Education in 1959. He married the love of his life, Dolores Ruth Wilkinson, on February 29, 1952.  Ken spent the next forty years as a choral music director in Kansas public schools, including Pretty Prairie, Dighton, Haven, Campus High School in Haysville, and Supervisor of Music for USD 428 and Director of Choral Music at Great Bend High School beginning 1963.

In 1970 he became the Director of Choral Activities at Barton Community College (BCC) where he taught for twenty-two years. His choral groups earned consistently high ratings at music festivals and performed several times at Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) in-service workshops. The BCC Hilltop Singers received Gold awards for performances at show choir festivals in St. Louis, Nashville, and San Antonio. Ken served as Coordinator and Music Director for 15 Broadway Musicals at BCC. He helped to organize and direct the Barton County Choral Society and created the Lyric Singers.

Ken was KMEA State President (1967-1969), Board Member, and is in the Hall of Fame (2006).  He was a member of the National Association for Music Education (NAFME), served as Kansas State Festival Choir Chairman (1959-1960), and was a Community College Representative.  Ken was a member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and served on the first KS-ACDA Board of Directors, and received their highest recognition, the Harry Robert Wilson Award (1983). He held membership in the National Education Association (NEA).  He retired from teaching in 1992.

Ken was a member of the First United Methodist Church where he served on the worship and scholarship committees, the tape ministry to the homebound, usher and a greeter, and Director of the Chancel Choir. He was also member of the First Christian Church in Great Bend.

During retirement Ken golfed at Lake Barton Golf Club, was a member of the ROMEO's (Retired Old Men Eating Out), attended the Wichita Symphony Orchestra Concert Series, Golden Belt Community Concerts, and Wichita Chamber Chorale performances. Ken loved to travel, especially to visit his children and grandchildren as often as possible.  As Chairmen of KMEA-Retired, he originated the Biographical Directory of Retired Music Educators that recognizes all music educators, now retired, who made positive contributions for the betterment of music education in Kansas.

Ken is survived by his wife Dolores and three children, Michael (Michelle) Shaheen, James (Jeanne) Shaheen, and Linda (Scott) Allen, grandchildren Evan, Kyle, Larissa, Devin (Damon), Kaitlyn (Adam), Sarah (Isaac), and Hannah (Josh), and great-grandchildren Calvin, Carter, Olivia, Brody, Layla. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers Toy (Edith), George (Irene), and sisters Madelia (Charles) Stevens, Gladys (Mike) Gibreal, Julia (Eli) Yanney, Marguerite (Dean) Lippincott, Eva (Phil) Coury, Martha (Marvin) Rouse, and Helen (Hugh) Magness.

Funeral Services will be held 2:00 p.m. Saturday, September 13, 2025, at First Christian Church, Great Bend, with Rev. Josh Leu officiating. Interment will follow at Great Bend Cemetery. Visitation will be from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday, September 12, with family receiving friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., all at Bryant Funeral Home in Great Bend.  Memorials may be given to Golden Belt Community Concert Association in care of Bryant Funeral Home, 1425 Patton Rd., Great Bend, KS  67530.