Professor Ken Strong was quick to smile, bringing an intense spirit to his classes and the stage alike.
Students remember him long after their time in Drama 116, and his fellow actors and colleagues mention the presence and joy he brought to the office and the stage.
Memorial set
A memorial will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday in the Paul Green Theatre at the Center for Dramatic Art.
The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Strong's name to The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University Medical Center.
Strong, 52, died Tuesday afternoon after a battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Kee, his parents, Sara and John, and a brother, Richard. Strong was a member of PlayMakers Repertory Company and a professor in the Department of Dramatic Art. He graduated from UNC with a bachelors degree in 1979 and a master’s of fine arts in 1983.
“He radiated love to really everybody that knew him,” said Ray Dooley, a member of PlayMakers and professor in the dramatic art department.
Everyone who knew Strong seems to share this sentiment, noting he was always smiling, joking and putting others before himself.
McKay Coble, chairwoman of the dramatic art department who also knew Strong when they attended UNC, said she at first wanted to grieve privately when she heard the news of Strong’s passing. Instead, she had a celebratory dinner with her family, honoring his spirit.
“I thought, ‘How many heads were hung in thought and prayer or were smiling and thinking of Ken last night?’ and I thought it must be in the thousands — thousands and thousands of people who were having one great big communal thought about the loss of this man,” Coble said.
Senior Sarah Peck first met Strong in her freshman acting course and remembered the way he told the students, “I love you!” at the end of every class.
“He was as fearless an actor as he was a person who famously told anyone who was willing to listen that he loved them,” she wrote in an e-mail.
Peck is directing an upcoming play Strong chose, and proceeds from the show will benefit the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, she said.
Sophomore Skylar Zee said her favorite part of his class was dancing to the music Strong played before class began each day.
Many of his colleagues remember his time on stage, especially the roles of Uncle Vanya and the Aviator in “The Little Prince.”
Strong was diagnosed with a brain tumor shortly after the end of the production “God’s Man in Texas.” After having surgery and receiving treatment, his first large show was “The Little Prince.”
Tom Quaintance, who directed “The Little Prince,” said he and Strong talked the first day about how the play follows someone who learns to look at life in a new way, determining what is truly important.
“It’s only with the heart that one can see rightly,” Quaintance said. “Ken embodied that so sincerely. The whole production had a spirit behind it that was unlike any other I’ve ever done.”
Jeff Cornell, a fellow professor in the drama department and a member of PlayMakers, said he first met Strong on the set of “Beauty and the Beast.” For the show, Strong wore a 10-foot-tall costume, operating parts of the costume with pulleys.
“I had never seen such a larger-than-life performance, but that was Ken. He was perfect for that,” Cornell said.
Strong’s fellow actors spoke about his ability to portray any role, calling him an actor from top to bottom.
“When the history of PlayMakers is written, he will hold a place of honor,” Dooley said.
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
