June 6, 1955 ~ December 12, 2019
Kenneth Lewis Drehman, 64, of Bartlesville, OK left us the morning of December 12, 2019. Services will be held Monday December 23, 2019 at Stumpff Funeral Chapel. Ken was born in Chicago, Ill on June 6, 1955 and at 3 days old became one of 2 of the greatest gifts in life to Lewis Edward and Amanda Norma Lee (Sushnik) Drehman. In 1960 he was joined by a new baby sister, Judy.
Ken received his education at Southview and McKinley elementary schools, Central middle school & Collage High School graduating with the class of 1973. He further studied Criminal Justice at Tulsa University and Oklahoma University.
When Ken was 12 he met a Vietnam Veteran who had just become a Bartlesville police officer named Richard Short. The friendship that followed lasted thru out their lives. Ken spent his teen years riding with Richard at the police department and helping where he could. He became a scuba diver and joined the rescue / recovery team making his first drowning recovery at the age of 16. He spent his life with helping people in mind. He followed his lifelong dream when he became a police officer for the city of Nowata in 1976. Later he served with the cities of Bartlesville, Copan, Dewey and finally with the Washington County Sheriff Department. He remained an officer in his heart for the rest of his life. He also worked part time as an armed security guard for his good friend Ken Fouts in the 1980’s.
In the late 60’s he became a member of the Bartlesville CB Club. They were the primary weather watchers. The CB Club later became the Civil Defense and in 1996 the name again changed to Washington County Emergency Management. Ken remained an active member for life. He had extensive training in this field and responded to numerous disaster scenes in the surrounding areas.
In January 1984 Ken was married to Joyce Elaine Bryan Packard. They were introduced by Ken’s friend Richard Short and they hit it off immediately. They enjoyed traveling and just being together in general. They were both interested in law enforcement and had a good happy life together. He enjoyed assisting his wife with the Bartlesville Police Reserve Unit in all its community activities for the 30 years she was a member.
Ken enjoyed riding motorcycles and took many long trips with his Uncle John Sushnik, his group of motorcycle riding police officer friends, their families and his wife. He was a natural with electronics and owned a 2-way radio shop where he sold and repaired police radios with his wife for close to 25 years. He finally applied and received his Amateur Radio (Ham) License in June 2016 and enjoyed making numerous friends over the radio using the call sign W5KLD. The last few years he had a lot of fun talking on the amateur radio to all the guys every day.
Above all Ken loved his kids and grandkids. They gave him so much joy and he was proud of each and every one. He will be missed by all of them.
Ken is survived by his wife Joyce of the home, 2 daughters, Tracy King and her husband Brian, Amanda Cagle and her husband Jimmy, grandson Nicholas Cagle, granddaughters Tracy Cagle & Phoebe King, and great grandson Trent Cagle, sister Judy Green and her husband John, Niece Jenny Griggs, her husband Jeff & their children Zane, Lathe, Nova & Ryker Griggs, Nephew Cory Green, his wife Cassie and their daughter Savannah Green, cousins Donna Breshear and her husband Jay, Diane Langley and her husband Rick and his cousins children.
Ken is preceded in death by his paternal grandparents Edward & Marie (Fuller) Drehman, maternal grandparents John & Pauline (Kombrink) Sushnik, Father Lewis & Mother Norma, Aunts & Uncles Carlos & Betty (Sushnik) Melton, John & Elizabeth (Shacklett) Sushnik, and 3 cousins David Melton, Paula Sushnik and Tony Sushnik.
In lieu of flowers friends may make a donation to the Washington County Emergency Management, PO Box, Bartlesville, Ok 74005.