Kenneth Jenner

Kenneth L Jenner was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life. He was tough-minded, meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared.

 Ken was born on April 26, 1919 at home in a farmhouse in Hannawa Falls, New York. His parents were Walter and Phyllis Jenner and as an only child, was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

    Ken developed a variety of interests and the things he enjoyed doing, he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. Reading, swimming, and fishing were his hobbies as a kid . However, what he enjoyed most was simply working, playing, and spending time with his cousins on the beautiful family farm overlooking the Raquette River in Hannawa Falls .

 When he was four his mother, Phyllis, took a teaching job at the one room school house in Hannawa Falls and Ken went with her. Later, he graduated from Potsdam High at age 16 and then applied to West Point but lacked a course in physics, which was a requirement at the time. Adding to his disappointment, right after graduating from high school Ken's dad, Walter, took a job in Syracuse, New York. Ken eventually studied and graduated from Powelson Business School but the birth of his children and World War 2 interrupted his studies. He eventually went back to night school, pursuing an accounting degree from University College of Syracuse University.

  On July 20, 1940 Ken exchanged wedding vows with Elizabeth "Betty" Bean in a garden wedding in Syracuse, New York. Compassionate and devoted to Betty, Ken held traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart and the marriage endured for almost 68 years until Betty's passing in 2008.  Ken brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he and Betty raised their children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. They were blessed with five children, three sons, Michael, Walter, and John and two daughters, Sandra and Nancy and he and Betty put them all through college. They were also blessed with 13 grandchildren: Tom, Lisa, Kristan, Linda, Lauren, Ken, Deborah, Jesse, Carly, Abbey, Jacob, Julia, and Jessica.

      Ken greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. An accountant by profession, he was employed for 35 years by New Process Gear, a division of Chrysler Corporation, achieving the position of assistant controller before his retirement in 1979.

      Ken was an Army veteran. He was a rifleman for Company C of the 110 Infantry, part of the 28th Division and saw action in Germany during World War 2. He achieved the rank of sergeant and understood well his role in serving his country as part of the "greatest generation."

      Ken was also a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a founding member and active in the Fairmount Community Church for 50 years. During that time, he was on the Board of Deacons and sang in the choir. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them. He was a volunteer for "Meals on Wheels" for many years while retired in Florida..

   When Ken’s early retirement arrived in 1979, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew so he decided to become a snowbird. After retiring to Clearwater, Florida he continued to spend summers in upstate New York at the family home for the next 38 years. In retirement, he found new pleasure in playing golf, gardening, and staying active in chorus. Even in retirement, he continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

    Mr. Kenneth Jenner passed away on April 11, 2018 at home in Clearwater under the loving care of Sandra Lowe, his wintertime caregiver, at his Top of the World condominium. Ken died at age 98 of metastatic melanoma. He is survived by his 5 children,12 grandchildren, and 23 great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at Sylvan Abbey in Clearwater, Florida and he will be laid to rest in Onondaga Valley Cemetery in Syracuse, New York.

      Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Kenneth Jenner. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him.

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Kenneth Lloyd (Ken) Jenner, 98 of Camillus, NY and Clearwater, FL, passed away Wednesday, April 11 at his home in Clearwater. Born April 26, 1919 in Hannawa Falls, NY to Walter and Phyllis Jenner, Ken was married to Elizabeth (Betty) Bean for 67 years until her passing on March 29, 2008. Together they raised five children, Sandra (Bill) Kolb of Gainesville, FL; Michael (Ellen) Jenner of Hilton Head Island, SC; Walter (Barbara) Jenner of Daniel Island, SC; Nancy (Bucky) Gabriel of Camillus, NY; and John (Kim) Jenner of Concord, CA.

In addition to his children and their spouses, he is survived by 12 grandchildren, Tom (Donna) Kolb of Gainesville, FL; Lisa (Kent) Hudson of Raleigh, North Carolina; Linda (Dan) Shevlin of Thornton, PA; Lauren (Darrin) Wright of State College, PA; Ken (Vanessa) Jenner of Glen Mills, PA; Debbie (Jon) Sierak of Mt. Pleasant, SC; Jesse (Emily Havel) Gabriel of East Syracuse, NY; Carly (John) Boyles of Camillus, NY; Abbey (Matt) Warner of Syracuse, NY; Jacob, Julia, and Jessica Jenner of Concord, CA. and 23 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Marjorie Griffin and brother-in-law David (Patty) Bean and many cousins. In addition to his wife, he was predeceased by his granddaughter, Kristan Kolb Ellison.

Ken was a graduate of Powelson Business School and attended University College in Syracuse. He worked for Pittsburgh Plate Glass and retired in 1979 from the finance department at New Process (Venture) Division of Chrysler Corporation after 39 years. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a rifleman in Company C 110th Infantry, part of the 28th Division. He was honorably discharged on December 6, 1945. Ken was a founding member of Fairmount Community Church in New York and served on several boards there. He delivered Meals on Wheels in Florida “to the old people” well into his 90’s. He was an avid reader and also enjoyed singing in the choir, gardening, golfing, fishing, playing cards, and most of all spending time with his family and friends. His family would like to offer special thanks to Sandra Lowe and her family for providing loving care during the winter months in Florida for the last two years.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 2 at 11:00 AM at the Sylvan Abbey Funeral Home, 2853 Sunset Point Rd., Clearwater, FL with a reception immediately following. A service will also be held in Camillus, NY in July. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Autism Science Foundation 106 West 32nd St., Suite182, New York, NY 10001.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.sylvanabbey.com for the Jenner family.