Meet the instructor – ILR Kenneth Marich

The Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR) is proud to introduce Ken Marich aka “Magic Ken” as an instructor and a member of the ILR Board of Directors. Ken was born in Chicago and grew up in Oak Park, IL. He earned a B.S. from Roosevelt University (Chicago) in 1961 majoring in Medical Technology and Biochemistry. He met his future wife Barbara at Presbyterian-Saint Luke’s hospital and they were married in 1961. In 1962 they moved to Davis, CA where Ken did medical research at the University of California and did graduate work in clinical pathology. In 1968, they moved to Sunnyvale, CA where Ken continued his research at Stanford School of Medicine and SRI International in high energy lasers and ultrasound. The rest of his career was directed to the development of diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound. While doing medical research he earned an MBA at Santa Clara University. As an educator he has taught the physics of ultrasound at Vanderbilt University, UCSF, Auburn University, Diasonics Inc. and in the Tucson area at SaddleBrooke, Splendido and The Academy.

His magic career began in the 1980s when he introduced a few magic tricks in his physics lectures in Majorca, Spain to keep the attention of his students. It was so successful that he has expanded his magic expertise and has been doing magic ever since. Ken has done magic shows all over the U.S., Europe, and Asia in conjunction with his medical research presentations. He was inducted into the International Brotherhood of Magicians in 1991. Ken co-taught an ILR course in magic with Mark Saks in 2013 and another magic course in SaddleBrooke in 2015. Magic is fun and can be performed by anyone who is willing to learn, practice and never tell the secrets. Magic is a great way to start a party, entertain your grandchildren or just have fun. The next course, in March, is an extension of the other magic courses and will expand your capabilities as a Junior Magician. The ILR is pleased to have its only magician on its faculty. For more information go to sbilr.org.