Kenneth Banta Dalzell passed away on November 1, 2024. His dedication to family and friends was a priority. Born in Moundsville, West Virginia in 1940, he was the son of Marjorie (Banta) and David Beaty Dalzell. He attended Mercersburg Academy in Chambersburg, PA, and Trinity College, Hartford CT, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, and Harvard Business School.

Following a family tradition he worked at Fostoria Glass Company in Moundsville and became President, continuing four generations in the handmade glass manufacturing business. After the sale of Fostoria, Ken became the President of Viking Glass , another venerable West Virginia glass making business which became Dalzell/Viking Glass. The company was known for fine colored glass tableware and giftware with clients including the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, Nieman Marcus, the Toronto Art Museum and the Metropolitan Museum among others. A career highlight was being selected to provide the dinnerware for the Academy Awards Governors Dinner in the 1990s.

In his early career Ken’s company took part with other West Virginia manufacturers to introduce young glass artists to the manufacturing of glass as a business. The program sponsored by the Huntington Art Museum included a young Dale Chihuly (well known today) and Jamie Carpenter
( who went on to work with IM Pie designing the glass pyramid entrance to the Louvre in Paris), among other budding artists in the old, yet “new”, creative medium of glass.

Ken was involved in many cultural activities in West Virginia. He served as President of the Wheeling Symphony and Oglebay Institute an arts organization in the Wheeling area. He helped establish glass blowing demonstration facilities as an attraction in several tourism areas. Recently Ken served on the Board and as President of the Associated Glass and Pottery Manufacturers, an organization dedicated to the promotion of education in the china and glass industries through grants and scholarships to schools and businesses providing support to this industry. Upon retirement in North Carolina Ken took on a creative hobby of stained-glass artwork and exhibited in shows and galleries.

Ken was a devoted husband to Georgia (Paul) Dalzell, father and grandfather (know as “Magic”). He is survived by his children Ashley Dalzell, Allison Allen (John), and Andrew Dalzell (Clair Carwell). Grandchildren are Sterling Gray, Sebastien Gray, and Dain Dalzell. He is also survived by brothers David Dalzell (Cindy), Alex Dalzell (Karen) and sisters Lyn Murphy (Bob), Mardie Driftmeir (Clarke), brother-in-law Daniel Paul (Ginny) and sister-in-law Maxine Benyaker (David) along with a large extended family who are scattered around the country. A celebration of Ken Dalzell’s life will be held at a later time. In lieu of flowers the family asks for gifts in Ken’s name be made to St. James the Fisherman Episcopal Church, Shallotte, North Carolina, or to the Red Cross for flood relief in western North Carolina.