Kenneth
Wayne Casner
January 23, 1930 - August 19, 2009
Kenneth Wayne Ken Casner, 79,
peacefully entered in to the Kingdom
of Heaven on Wednesday, August 19,
2009. A Memorial Service was at
11:00 a.m., Monday, August 24, at
Lake Shore Baptist Church, 5801
Bishop Drive, Waco, with Rev.
Dorisanne Cooper officiating.
Visitation was from 6:00 to 8:00
p.m., Sunday, August 23 at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey
Funeral Home.
Ken was born January 23, 1930 in
Fort Scott, Kansas to Lawrence and
Pauline Casner. He became a faithful
Wacoan at the age of six and
considered Waco his home ever since.
He loved playing and coaching
football. Ken began his football
career at West Junior High School
and then played for the Waco High
Tigers as a defensive tackle. He was
voted All-District and All-State in
1947 and played in the High School
All Star Game in Abilene in 1948.
Casner continued his football career
at Baylor University where he
lettered in football from 1949-1951.
He had great success with Baylor
football and was selected All
Southwest Conference in 1950 and
1951. He was elected as a Collier's
All American in 1951 and played in
the Senior Bowl in 1952. He was
selected as Southwest Conference
Lineman of the Week by the
Associated Press his senior year.
Casner helped lead the Bears to
their first major bowl game, the
Orange Bowl, in 1952. His talent was
recognized by the Los Angeles Rams
who drafted him in 1952. As a member
of the Los Angeles Rams he was
selected to play in the Chicago
Tribune All-Star game.
His degrees included a B.B.A. and a
M.S. from Baylor. He earned 30 post
graduate hours towards a doctorate
in educational psychology while at
Baylor. Casner proudly served
America for two years in the United
States Air Force Strategic Air
Command. He returned to playing
football after his service had ended
with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of
the Canadian Professional Football
league. While a Roughrider, he once
played three games in four days.
Casner was as valued as a coach as
he was a player. He taught and
coached at various Waco high schools
from 1957-1966. He was respected by
all and eventually became the
Assistant Principal at Richfield
High. He suggested the high school
mascot be named the Richfield Rams
and that name was selected.
He returned to his Baylor Bears in
1966 where he was an assistant
football coach until 1972. It was
then that Mr. Casner began his
career with the Board of Pardons and
Paroles as a District Parole
Officer. He served as the
Administrator of Internal Affairs in
Austin in 1975. In 1976, he was
appointed Executive Director of the
Board of Pardons and Paroles until
1982, when he was appointed as a
Parole Commissioner, subsequently he
was appointed by Governor Bill
Clements to the Board of Pardons and
Paroles, a post that he filled until
his retirement in 1991.
He was a faithful member of Lake
Shore Baptist Church for 48 years.
He served as a Deacon and acted as a
greeter for over forty years. He
delighted in watching generations of
children go from toddlers to adults
as he greeted them each Sunday.
Casner was inducted into the Baylor
University Hall of Fame in 1981. He
was on the Board of Directors of the
Baylor University Letterman's
Association for 1987-88 and served
on the Texas High School Football
Hall of Fame Board of Directors in
1993-94. In 2001 he was elected into
the Waco Public School Department of
Athletics Hall of Fame.
Ken was preceded in death by his
parents; his sister, Betty Marshall;
and by his son, Kenny Casner.
He is survived by his wife of 54
years, Ladye Ruth Casner; daughter,
Kathy Casner Goodrich and husband,
Mike of Arlington, Texas; and two
wonderful granddaughters that he
loved very much, Kate Goodrich and
Laura Goodrich.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be
made to the Lake Shore Baptist
Church or to the Baylor University
Athletic Department.
