Birth date: Jun 23, 1934 Death date: Feb 11, 2021
He grew up during the '30s and '40s in Oyster Bay, New York, during tough times when people had little money. He attended Oyster Bay High School, graduated in 1951, and lettered in several athletics to include track and field. Aft Read Obituary
Ken was one of the finest people I've ever known. A skilled electrician, amazing gardener, and talented woodworker. I'm so glad to have one of his yard whirly-gigs of a man in a little boat catching a fish, it always reminds me of Ken and his love of fishing. Joan, do you remember the little pond he dug in the backyard of your place in Golden Gate Estates that he stocked with bass so he could go fishing anytime?
And every Christmas Eve he had clams shipped specially from New York and would make the best clam rolls I've ever tasted! Everybody looked forward to that.
Whenever we visited, Ken would give us plants from his yard to take home. The last time he gave us some cuttings from his Mexican sunflowers. I didn't believe him when he said to just stick the cuttings in the ground and they would grow but he was right. They have grown like crazy and are over 20 feet tall now!
I will miss you so much Ken but I'm thankful to have had you as a friend for the past 46 years. I know that your legacy of kindness and decency will live on in your wonderful sons and grandchildren.
All our love,
Diana and Bill
My heartfelt love and prayers to Kenny’s beautiful family. I was fortunate enough to grow up with Kenny and Joan as our neighbors and there was never an end to the fun, joy and engagement that we would all shared for years when they lived in Oyster Bay, NY.
Kenny was my Dad’s best buddy and he made such a big impression on me as a tomboy little kid in a family of 7. I will never forget the great BBQ’s with all the fish and shellfish they could catch. (It was a lot). Many an early Sunday morning my cat and I would wake up to a large prized fish on the porch just outside our backdoor. We proudly attended the firemen’s tournament for years to root Kenny and his Rough Rider team on and the joyous town wide celebration that followed. The breathtaking Rod and Gun Club 4th of July Clambakes on the beach at Center Island. Kenny always had time to stop and speak with me. Always directly, with great interest in my responses and with that amazingly comfortable smile and contagious laugh. I loved him as our whole family did.
When the Van Velsors moved to Florida it was an end to an era. I too moved to Florida years later and we visited their place in Paisley. Kenny was happy in his family filled life. He had his own fishing pond. I still have the wooden fishing bear he gifted me under my pergola. ( I never knew Florida had bears!) It always reminds me of Kenny and the most special place he occupies in my heart. Both he and my Dad were bigger than life especially together, and I just know they are together again now, ornery as ever and having fun.
With all my love,
Berta Walston Von Ahnen
A Wonderful friend has passed on to be in his permanent FLOWER GARDEN. A sweet, gentle, kind man. He was so generous with his flower seeds and crafts. A doll house sits in my dining room; a wonderful memory from Ken. We spread his marigold seeds around one of the finger lakes in N. Y. State. They were lovely. Yes, he will be missed. So many hugs to Joan and family. Barb Eagan
