Kenneth “KC” McAlpin, RIP

On September 29th, 2024, Kenneth Courtenay McAlpin, known to his many friends as “KC,” died at age 78 in Amissville, Virginia from pancreatic cancer. At the time of his death, the longtime ProEnglish Board member, treasurer and former executive director was surrounded by his loving family.

KC was born on February 15, 1946, in Rochester, Pennsylvania, the second of five children born to the late Joseph Roderick McAlpin Jr. and Martha A. (McAlpin) Blanchard. He grew up in Houston, Texas, where he attended St. John’s School and then Memorial High School, class of 1964. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Texas in 1969 and earned a master’s degree from Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management in Phoenix, Arizona.

After graduate school, KC joined Exxon Corp’s international audit staff, and traveled throughout South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. His work brought him face to face with the environmental damage and poverty in Latin America, which resulted in their emigration to America. Following Exxon, KC worked at Diamond Shamrock Corporation in international auditing and corporate development.

KC’s life changed in 1981 when he answered an employment help wanted ad in the Wall Street Journal placed by a new organization called the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) in Washington D.C. Unlike KC’s work in the corporate world, FAIR advocated for policy reforms to stem illegal immigration and keep legal immigration at a moderate level that the U.S. could absorb without harming its own citizens’ wages and job opportunities.

After moving to the Washington D.C. area in 1982 to join FAIR’s staff, KC eventually because the executive director of ProEnglish. In 2010, KC moved to Harbor Springs, Michigan, while continuing his ProEnglish work. When living in northern Virginia, he belonged to The Falls Church Episcopal Church (now Anglican) and served as the head of its men’s ministry. It was through The Falls Church that KC found his true faith in Jesus Christ. He later joined New Life Anglican Church in Petoskey, Michigan, where he served on the Vestry and as treasurer. KC believed in helping others and volunteered for ministries helping the unemployed find work both in northern Virginia and Michigan.

To me, KC was more than a tireless ally in our mutual fight for common sense immigration. For more than 30 years, KC was my friend. We shared stories about our international travels, Longhorns’ football, our dogs and how great homemade Texas dishes could be prepared with just a cast iron pan and a quart of buttermilk.

KC will be deeply missed by all who knew him. He leaves his children Holly, Bonnie and David; his grandson Elijah; as well as his brothers Rod, Pete, Wayo, and Mac; his sister Ashley; his Aunts JoAnn and Patricia, and his former wives Nancy and Louise.

This article was written by Joe Guzzardi and reposted from ProEnglish’s Fall 2024 Newsletter.