A life well lived - Ken and Margaret's story

When Ken Grenda AM reflects on a life well lived, the jewel is always the six decades he shared with his late wife Margaret.

Together, Ken and Margaret raised five children and built family-owned Grenda Corporation into a highly successful bus company and a legacy for future generations.

A passionate, life-long Tigers supporter, Ken is the sixth Patron of Richmond Football Club, who became renown as ‘Australia’s best boss’, ensuring a surprise bonus for his loyal staff when the business was eventually sold.

Ken’s values of integrity and appreciation of others are unwavering; the impact of his generous gifts in gratitude for the compassionate care he and Margaret received over many years at Cabrini are enduring.

Margaret suffered from recurring pneumonia for many years, regularly cared for at Cabrini. Ken recalls the time Marg was an inpatient at Cabrini Malvern, while Ken was under the care of Cabrini’s Dr Myron Rogers treating his neuropathy. “I parked the car to visit Marg, wondered up the passage, got to her bedside and had a stroke,” Ken shares. Everyone at Cabrini leapt into action – he was lucky: had it been two hours later, he wouldn’t have made it. “I lost my ability to speak and all memory, but they worked on me pretty hard, using the book I wrote about my bus business to fully return my memory,” Ken shares.

In 2020, the Grenda family experienced the all encompassing compassionate care of the team at Cabrini for both Ken and Marg, at a heart wrenching time. Devastatingly, Margaret could be supported only as Palliative Care.

“The nurses who took care of Marg were amazing – I recall the tender eyes of one nurse in particular,” Ken remembers.

Marg died within six days. In her last 24 hours the family were allowed to visit at any time, day or night, to spend time with Marg during her final hours, including their beloved golden retriever. At her final moment, Ken was rushed to her in a wheelchair, by their daughter in-law. He held her hand, gave her a kiss, told her he loved her and that was it, she was gone, surrounded by her loved ones.

The Grenda family continue to express their profound gratitude to all the caring Cabrini staff, generously supporting equipment, nursing education and research at Cabrini. Margaret’s life is honoured with a plaque on a ‘bus’ bench on Level 3 of the Gandel Wing, Cabrini Malvern, where family and carers can reflect while loved ones are cared for.

Thank you Ken and family, Marg is forever in our hearts.

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