In the early hours of March 26, 2026, at his home at Mill Creek Ranch in Gladstone Valley near Pincher Creek, Alta., Keith Cecil (K.C.) Shenton was granted entry into Valhalla. He was 72 years old.

K.C. leaves behind Brenda, his wife of 47 years; their children Benjamin (Amy), Erika (Tom) and Alex (Cynthia); grandchildren Shelden, Jaxon, Sasha, Odin, Casey, Atlas, Raleigh, Scarlet and Ever; great-grandchildren Ilona and Milo; and brother Pat (Sheila).

He was predeceased by his parents, Cecil and Marge Shenton, his brother Jim, and sister Barb. 

K.C. was born March 5, 1954, in High Prairie, Alta. When he was a young child, his family moved back to the homestead of his grandparents, Clarence and Clarice Warren. There, Cecil and Marge established Mill Creek Ranch, where K.C. and his siblings were raised, and where he and Brenda later raised their children.

K.C.’s youth was spent helping his parents on the ranch, getting into trouble with his siblings and a large local contingent of McRae and Warren cousins, and exploring the natural beauty of the Gladstone Valley.

His Grandpa Warren taught him how to fish, trap and hunt — lessons that built the foundation for K.C.’s keen observance of nature and stewardship of the land. He shared a special bond with his grandmothers, Clarice Warren and Alice Shenton. Clarice taught K.C. to read before he was school-aged, which inspired a lifelong love of reading and an interest in history, especially of the Norse and family varieties.

K.C. graduated from Matthew Halton High School in 1972 and shortly afterward he headed to the B.C. coast to work with his Uncle Buck. This inspired him to pursue work in carpentry and later earn his journeyman certification, which grew into a notable career in heavy civil construction.

K.C. met his soulmate, Brenda, through her brother Kerry, with whom he was friends and roommates. According to family lore, Mom’s relentless pursuit of Dad was the best thing to ever happen to him. After a few years of dating, they got married at the ranch in 1978. Although not particularly known for being a softie, Dad always had a bouquet of flowers waiting for Mom on her birthday, their anniversary and at Christmastime.

K.C.’s early career took him to various jobs throughout Western Canada, and he and Brenda lived in Red Deer, Sylvan Lake and Airdrie in those early days — always with the goal of returning to the ranch.

While living in Airdrie, he and Brenda became parents, welcoming Benjamin in 1981 and Erika in 1984. The family made the move back to the ranch in 1986, into the house built by K.C.’s grandparents. Alex was born shortly after, in 1987. Dad was proud of his children and, throughout their lives, showed his affection through the built form, whether through extremely dangerous solid-wood broadswords or an extremely dangerous industrial-grade swing set, among many other creations.

On the job, K.C. earned his way from foreman to superintendent, often working away from home to provide for his family and saving up to expand his own cattle herd and develop the infrastructure on the ranch. In 1987 he built his beloved shop, where he spent many hours over his lifetime scheming, tinkering and tale-telling with anyone who happened to pull into the yard.

Over the decades, K.C. led the construction of dozens of bridges and a few windmills. He became well known in the industry for his bridge expertise. Although a tough boss, his work in construction provided him with lifelong friendships and mentorships, and people continued to call to pick his brain well into his retirement.

The highlight of his career was acting as superintendent on the Peace Bridge in Calgary for Graham Construction. As part of that project, K.C. had the opportunity to travel to Spain and Austria for a pre-construction inspection of the bridge components.

K.C.’s retirement provided him with the time to finally work on the many schemes he had catalogued in his brain and he always had some sort of handcrafted project (usually a gift for his children or grandchildren) in the works. In later years, Poppa enjoyed taking his grandchildren on quad rides and teaching them about the land.

Although we all joked about him being a recluse, K.C. had many friends of all ages and from various walks of life. His life stories, historical references, random factoids and knowledge of the land will be dearly missed by many.

A casual celebration of K.C.’s life will be held at Mill Creek Ranch on Saturday, April 18, from 1 to 4 p.m. There will be no formal program, so please come and go at your convenience. For directions to the ranch, please email remembering.kc.shenton@gmail.com.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation or volunteering your time in K.C.’s name to Kootenai Brown Historical Park/Pincher Creek and District Historical Society. Donations can be made electronically, by calling 403-627-3684 or by mailing to Box 1226, Pincher Creek, AB, T0K 1W0. Volunteer information and signup can be found here.