JANUARY 22, 1942 - OCTOBER 13, 2025
Kenneth (Ken) F. Crockett, 83, born January 22, 1942 in Pittsburg, Kansas, died October 13, 2025 at home, with his companion of 31 years; Jean Mayfield, by his side. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings. He is survived by his children Erin Crockett-Bishop (Phil), Christopher Crockett (Emily) and Heather Crockett-Berry along with five grandchildren. The youngest child of Noel Ellis Crockett and Ruth Violet Crockett (Claunch), his older siblings were named Betty Nolene Gammon, Allen Date Crockett and Charles David Crockett.
At the age of one, the family moved to Walker, Missouri where Ken’s father was employed by the Pittsburg and Midway Coal Company. Remaining in Walker until the end of second grade, the family then relocated to Rockville, Missouri where the family remained until Ken completed third grade. In the summer of 1950 the family relocated to a farm outside Appleton City, Missouri approximately one mile from the mine where Ken’s father worked. Ken then attended Appleton City’s school system from fourth grade until high school graduation in 1959.
When the company moved the mine from Walker to Appleton City, the company offered its employees the choice of remaining members of the United Mineworkers Union or going non-union. The employees unanimously elected to become non-union which was met with fierce opposition from John L. Louis, President of the Union. John Louis ordered a full strike against P&M which resulted in picket lines being formed at the entrance of the mine as well as at the railroad spur where the coal trains would exit the main line. None of the company’s employees stayed with the company at that time with the exception of two people, Ken’s dad as a maintenance supervisor and John Rhodes staying on as p pit boss. Consequently John Rhodes and Noel Crockett were primary targets of the Union’s resulting acts of vandalism and terrorism.
Also as a result of the secondary actions of the Union when the family moved to Appleton City, Ken was not allowed to ride the school bus and he and other ”mine" kids were segregated in classrooms. None of the merchants in Appleton City would allow any mine employees or family members to enter their establishments all as a result pressure from the Union. This went on for six years and all that time Noel would carry to work each day a pistol and blackjack in his pants. During this time there were numerous instances of mine employees being attacked and beaten, farm animals were shot and mine property was destroyed by bombs as well as many other acts of vandalism being committed against Ken’s parents and other mine employees. In 1952 the company was forced to allow the employees to revote on the issue of returning to the Union. The result was that by one vote, the employees rejoined the Union.
While attending Appleton City High School Ken participated in basketball, football and baseball. At the time he graduated from ACHS, he held the school’s career basketball scoring title as well as the individual game scoring records. On the advice of his coach, he decided not to accept an offer to the University of Missouri and instead opted to attend Independence Kansas Community College on a basketball scholarship. During his Freshman year, they were the number one nationally ranked basketball team for the entire year. In the next to last game of the year, Ken broke his foot, and never played another college game. At the end of the first semester of Sophomore year, Ken dropped out of college for six weeks and lived in McAllen Texas with some high school friends. During that time he worked in the vegetable fields of South Texas.
September of 1961 Ken reentered college at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri. In November 1963 he completed his undergraduate study, receiving his Bachelor’s degree in May 1964. In January 1964 he went to work for Crawford & Company, an independent insurance adjusting company, who then sent Ken to Atlanta, Georgia to attend their school. In April of 1964 he was assigned to Crawford’s office in Little Rock Arkansas, where he remained until August of that year.
In August 1964, Ken relocated to Topeka, Kansas where he began law school, During his three years in law school, he worked at Perrin’s Liquor Store, Addington, Jones, Harley & Rice law firm; and Grey, Freidberg & Davis law firm, respectively. He received his Juris Doctorate degree from Washburn University on June 4, 1967. Having accepted a position from the United States Attorney’s office he began working there June 5, 1967. After passing the bar exam June 30, 1967 he was then admitted to practice.
Ken tried his first jury trial in July 1967. During Fall of that same year, he was appointed as ex officio manager of the Topeka US Attorney’s office. After NixQn’s election in November 1968, he began looking for other work and in May 1969 he entered the City Attorney’s office in Topeka as First Assistant. He remained in that position until September 1971 when he resigned and became a partner in the firm of Hiatt & Spurgeon Chartered.
August 1, 1980 he resigned form Hiatt & Spurgeon and joined the firm of Tilton, Dillon, Beck & Crockett. in August 1985 he resigned from that firm and formed his sole practitioner’s office where he remained until he left the legal practice in March 1996. During his time in legal practice he specialized in trial work and tried cases in the Federal courts of Kansas, Missouri and Kentucky. He also tried cases in the State courts of Kansas Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Ohio and Illinois.
From 1972 to 1976 he served as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Kansas handling some 17 civil rights cases filed against the State of Kansas by inmates at the Lansing State Prison as a result of the 1969 riots. He successfully tried those cases in Federal Court and argued successfully the resulting appeals to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Also from 1977 through 1988 he taught Trial Practice at Washburn University School of Law. For two years, 1972-1974 he taught Law for Police Officers in the Washburn University undergraduate school.
He was an active member of the Kansas Bar Association where he served on the Public Relations Committee, was President of the Young Lawyers Section for two consecutive terms; organized the computerized legal research program of the Association’s program for legal education for the State’s elementary and secondary schools; and received numerous honors and recognitions including the Distinguished Service Award in 1977. For more than seven years he taught Domestic Relations at the Associations bi-annual seminar for young lawyers, as well as speaking at other seminars too numerous to mention. For three years he serviced as Kansas’ representative for the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyer Section. Within the Topeka Bar Association he service on numerous committees, chairing the Criminal Law Committee.
After leaving his legal profession, he continued to educate young minds by working as a substitute teacher in several Topeka area schools. With his most recent tenure lasting over 20 years at Topeka West High School up until April 25, 2025.
Ken also had two published books.
In accordance with Ken’s wishes, no memorial services will be held. His life was marked by quiet strength, unwavering integrity,and a deep commitment to justice and education. Those who knew him are invited to honor his memory in their own way–through reflection, storytelling, or simply carrying forward the values he lived by.
