On March 30, 2025, Kenneth Lloyd Mansfield, 71, passed on to a far better world after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease.

Ken was born in Pittsburgh, PA, September 2, 1953, to William Lloyd and Dorothy Jane Glass Mansfield. They took him home from Allegheny General Hospital to Chester, WV – a small town located on the Ohio River in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, known for potteries, china, and steel mills. Chester is just 40 miles west of Pittsburgh, which the Mansfields frequented often for shopping and to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates. At one time, Ken's uncle was the mayor of Chester and his dad a councilman.

While Ken had no siblings, he grew up with several cousins close by who were like brothers and sisters to him. His aunt and uncle and their daughter lived next door. Warm weather holidays always found the extended family gathered for cookouts and celebrations between the two houses that overlooked the Ohio River.

During the summers of junior high and high school, Ken attended Culver Military Academy in Culver, IN. He most enjoyed and excelled at sailing, drill team, and rowing. He also served as a West Virginia Boy's State delegate one summer. Ken is a 1971 graduate of Oak Glen High School in New Manchester, WV. He received appointments to West Point (The U.S. Military Academy) and The Air Force Academy, and a full Navy ROTC scholarship to the University of Notre Dame.

He ended up graduating with a B.A. (History) degree from West Virginia University in 1976, where hewas a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity. Ken, along with one of his cousins, worked a few summers at Weirton Steel, where Ken's dad was employed. Ken enjoyed college life yet lacked purpose. He'd grown up in the Presbyterian church, but it was at WVU where he met Jesus. A friend invited him to a Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru) meeting where he heard the gospel clearly for the first time, changing the trajectory of his life.

After college, Ken joined the staff of Cru. In his 19 years with Cru, he continued to talk about Jesus with those he'd just met or had known for a while. He served with Here's Life Black America in Atlanta, started a Christian Conference Center in the Netherlands (on loan from Cru), and headed up summer projects for college students in the Bahamas and Cru headquarters in San Bernardino, CA. He also served with Masterworks Studio and the Communication Center.

In 1986, Ken met his wife-to-be, Cristi Roberson, who was serving as a journalist for Cru's magazine. At that time, he was also volunteering as a high school basketball coach at San Bernardino High School. He bought one of the first Plymouth minivans (he had been driving a Honda Civic) to haul very tall high school basketball players to and from their grandmothers' homes. He also managed and played for the Cru men's softball team, a close-knit group that won a few championships in San Bernardino.

Ken and Cristi married June 4, 1988, in Tupelo, MS, where Cristi lived before joining Cru staff.  They served together with FamilyLife (a Cru ministry based in Little Rock, AR) for five years.  Believing that God was calling them to be missionaries overseas, Ken and Cristi moved in 1996 with their three daughters (ages 5, 3, and 1) to Orlando, FL, for Ken to study at Reformed Theological Seminary. He earned a Master of Divinity degree in 2000.

During a missions trip to France and Tunisia, he realized he wasn't sure of his calling to a "people group" overseas. He involved his family in inner-city ministries in Orlando, interning with Frontline Outreach. He eventually found his calling as a humanities professor teaching church history, architecture, and art at Valencia College. During these years, he coached his girls in softball, and cheered them on at basketball and volleyball games and other endeavors. Ken spent his last employment years as a security officer at Shingle Creek Golf Resort and was loved by those with whom he worked.

Ken is survived by his wife of almost 37 years, Cristi Roberson Mansfield; daughters, Meagan Adele Mansfield, Mollie Kathryn Lagrew (Delaney Lagrew) of Gainesville, FL, and Meredith Jane Mansfield; and granddaughter, Samantha Lois Lagrew. He also leaves behind several cousins and extended family.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1:00 pm, Saturday, June 28, at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, 4917 Eli Street, Orlando, FL 32804, where Ken and Cristi have been members for 29 years. A reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to St. Paul's Church and designate Deacon's Fund or to Third Millennium Ministries ( thirdmill.org ).