Ken DruceCourtesy of family
Kenneth Druce: Costumer. Runner. Theatregoer. Partner. Born Sept. 25, 1934, in St. Helier, Jersey; died Dec. 15, 2022, in Toronto, of natural causes; aged 88.
If you had the good fortune to cross Ken Druce’s path and be exposed to his infectious sense of humour and open heart, you felt blessed.
Ken was born on the Island of Jersey, a British territory in the English Channel where he was adopted and raised by James and Doreen Druce.
At 17, Ken took a job with the Mercantile Marine, sailing from Southampton to Cape Town working in the laundry. This was the first in a long line of voyages he would take over the course of his life.
At 19 he sailed to New York, where he hoped there would be greater opportunities. He ended up in Toronto and began working in the costume department at CBC in 1957. He arranged and supervised fittings with performers, organized the costumes for shooting schedules and ensured continuity. He helped Glenn Gould prepare for a concert and dressed performers such as Anne Murray, William Hutt, Kate Reid, Brent Carver and Donald Sutherland in their costumes. (In the late 1950s, Ken worked briefly for the BBC in London, where he even dressed Dame Shirley Bassey.)
During his 40-year career at CBC Ken worked on The Wayne and Shuster Show, The Royal Canadian Air Farce, Dieppe, Conspiracy of Silence, The National Dream and Love and Hate: The Story of Colin and JoAnn Thatcher.
Ken liked to keep active. In his youth, he was an accomplished ballroom dancer, winning the Pavilion Cup in Jersey in 1953. As an adult, he discovered running and joined Toronto’s Longboat Roadrunners and ran marathons, including the Boston Marathon. When he could no longer run, Ken was a constant and joyous presence in the weekly aerobics class at Toronto’s downtown YMCA.
Ken was an avid theatregoer and travelled often to Broadway, where he saw Ethel Merman in Gypsy among other luminaries. He also saw a young Julie Andrews and Richard Burton in Camelot at the O’Keefe Centre in Toronto and was a frequent visitor to the Stratford Festival. His enthusiasm for that time showed itself in the large collection of playbills and signed headshots he kept until the end of his life.
Later in life, Ken vacationed in Italy, South Korea, Japan and Tahiti and the Society Islands. He returned to Jersey infrequently, eventually losing touch with his adopted family after his mother died. When he was no longer able to travel, Ken relished the opportunity to speak with others about their adventures.
Most important for Ken was his long-time lover and partner, Victor Netto, and their dogs, Eddie, Bobby and Molly, and their cat Samantha. Victor and Ken met in 1965 at a party, establishing an immediate attraction and kinship. Victor, an American, came to Toronto for a hairdressing course and never left. When Victor opened his own salon, the couple lived in the apartment above. Their home was a place of joy and fun and they were perfect hosts. Victor was a great cook and Ken was witty, charming and magnetic. It was a joy to be in their company. The salon, too, was elegant, welcoming and a social hot spot, always abuzz with friends and clients, the social elite of Toronto. They also often entertained in the beautiful garden they created.
When Victor was diagnosed with cancer in the mid-1990s, they were forced to close the salon. After Victor died in 1998, Ken was left without a conventional family, but he was surrounded by a devoted group of close friends. Ken grieved the loss of his beloved until he died, but found the strength to be friendly, funny and kind despite his pain.
After five years of deep mourning, Ken moved into an elegant downtown condo, returned to social life attending the opera and theatre, and went back to working out at the YMCA. Once back in Toronto, Ken returned to life, bringing his characteristic wit, charm and humour to delight his devoted group of close friends.
Stephen Low is Ken Druce’s friend.
To submit a Lives Lived: lives@globeandmail.com
To learn how to share the story of a family member or friend, go online to tgam.ca/livesguide