Kenneth Frank Courage, Jr.

Born in 1949, in Lynn, MA, Ken’s initiative showed from a young age. He was an all-star on the football team and high-school valedictorian. He enlisted in the Army at eighteen and deployed to Vietnam, where he proudly served with the 5th Special Forces Group, Airborne, and the elite “Military Assistance Command, Vietnam—Studies and Observations Group” (MACV-SOG), running classified reconnaissance missions and performing record setting low altitude parachute jumps. Among the many awards and recognitions he earned in combat were the Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device for heroism, two Commendation awards, and the Gallantry Cross with Silver Star. After his deployments, he continued to serve in the Army Reserves and the National Guard.

Ken had a natural inclination to help others and worked as a tutor and counselor for adolescents while in college. He earned a bachelor’s from Cornell University and a master's in social work from University of Pennsylvania. He pursued a career that would provide access to mental health services for those in need, making many contributions to the field. He found success and fulfillment as administrator, chief executive, co-owner, and board member of numerous psychiatric hospitals.

Along the way he raised four children, supported his family, ran marathons, coached sports teams, and became a highly engaged role model in the community. His tireless love, compassion, dedication, drive, humor, wit, and playful goofiness are deeply missed. But his legacy to support those around him continues.

Ken was preceded in death by his wife and the mother of their children, Sherry. He is survived by his children David (Katherine), Debra, Joshua (Lindsey), and Bethany; his sister Lily (Robert) and nephew Brian; his second wife Penda and stepchildren Myriam and Habeeb; and his seven grandchildren Walden, Jad, Hugh, Adele, Ava, Evan, and Eliot.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests any remembrances be made as donations to the Wounded Warrior Project

https://communityfundraising.woundedwarriorproject.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.personalCampaign&participantID=8309

A funeral service to remember Ken's life will be held at noon on Monday, March 21 at Church of the Little Flower in Bethesda, MD, with interment at Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, DC at 2pm, and a reception at the family’s home to follow.