Kenneth "Ken" Jue

Ken Jue, lover of a good story, a good hug, a good Scotch, a good trout stream, a good pickup basketball game and most importantly, a lover of all things family, died at his home May 23 after a brief illness. As could be expected, he was surrounded by family. He was 77.

Ken was a tireless advocate for those who had difficulty advocating for themselves, working at Monadnock Family Services for 33 years, retiring as CEO in 2011. While at MFS, he developed InShape after he became alarmed how people with serious mental illnesses were dying at a younger age than those in the general population. InShape works to increase life expectancy among those battling mental health issues by focusing on exercise, good nutrition and engagement with the larger community in order to reduce stigma and isolation. After retirement, Ken worked full time to expand InShape nationally. He had a vision about mental health services that focused on fully utilizing community assets to empower those with mental illness. His unique approach led to him being recognized as a leader in mental health care at a local, state, national and even international level, consulting in Europe, South America, Asia and the Pacific.

Ken was a founding member of the Elm City Rotary club and was the epitome of its motto, “Service Above Self.” He was sought after to serve on multiple local and statewide boards too numerous to mention.

He also served the community as an elected official in the 1980s when he served two terms on the Keene School Board. He believed that to be elected he needed to fully connect with the community so he spent each weekend door knocking in all five wards of Keene. Feeling it was a good political education for his 10-year-old, he often took his daughter along during his first campaign, which she didn’t feel was a great way to spend her weekend.

Ken was an eager volunteer, a fact countless local organizations were well aware of. If you asked, Ken said yes. And yes for Ken didn’t just mean showing up. It was a 100% yes. Likewise, if Ken was asking you, it was hard to say no.

Just ask Carol, his wife of 53 years. They met while both were in graduate school at Case Western Reserve University. For a first date, Ken tried the unusual strategy of asking Carol to attend his 5-year high school reunion. Remarkably, she said yes and on March 29, 1969, she said yes again, this time for what proved to be that 53-year commitment.

Prior to moving to Keene in the late ’70s, Ken was the director of the mental health center in Longmont, Colorado. He felt the best way to serve the mental health needs of a community was to gain full knowledge of what was happening in that community. As a result, his attendance record at Longmont City Council meetings was so high that when he moved to New Hampshire, the council proclaimed him an honorary member by presenting him a counselor nameplate.

Although Ken received many accolades for his work in the community, among his proudest were receiving an honorary doctoral degree from Keene State College in 2007, being chosen Citizen of the Year in 2000, and being picked to run the Olympic flame down Main Street in 1996. That short jaunt probably didn’t influence him to try something longer, but he did. He ran the Clarence DeMar Half-Marathon in 2017 and then did it two more times. The last was this past fall at age 76. Slow but steady, he relished in the cheers that greeted him at the finish line.

A doggedly competitive athlete, the 5-foot-3 Ken especially enjoyed his basketball games at the YMCA. He claims to have scored 100 points in one game, a tale no one would question because the “great embellisher” always managed to tell such tales with a straight face. Often suiting up with a variety of braces and bandages, he continued to play pick-up games into his 70s, until balky knees forced him into “retirement”. All of which makes his half-marathons that much more impressive.

His love of sports included the Celtics and the Red Sox…sort of. He loved to watch them, but, like a true wounded Boston sports fan, would go into the games pessimistic about the outcome so if indeed they lost, he wouldn’t be too disappointed.

Kenneth Jue was born May 12, 1945, in Boston to Hung and Stella (Goon) Jue. He spent his early years in Boston’s Chinatown, living in a three-story walkup apartment with his parents, grandparents, brothers and sister.

At age 10, his hardworking parents moved to suburban Natick, Massachusetts in hopes of finding a safer and better educational system for their children. They were one of the first Chinese families to buy a home there and faced discrimination, something Ken never forgot and had an impact on his concern for others facing discrimination. It was a difficult move for Ken to leave Chinatown and his grandmother, but he soon made friends. Despite his small stature, he played on the high school football and basketball teams and was elected class president.

He earned a scholarship and later graduated from Trinity College, the only Asian American in his class, majoring in German and becoming the first in his family to earn a college degree. Throughout his college years, he continued working to cover expenses the scholarship did not, including at a state psychiatric institution where his disapproval of the treatment of patients created in him a desire to be a part of a more compassionate and just mental health care system. He would go on to receive a master’s degree in social work at Case Western Reserve.

Ken had an engaging smile and an infectious laugh that served him well. He will be missed by so many for his kindness to others, his creative problem-solving and his love of community.

In addition to his wife, Carol Swenson Jue, survivors include daughter Alexis (Jay) Clark, Rockville, Maryland; son Dr. Nathaniel Jue (Tara Reynolds), Marina, California; brothers Phillip Jue (Sandy Adams), Venice, Florida, and Eric Jue (Genie Wong), San Francisco; sister Madeline (Roger) Ling, Carlisle, Massachusetts; nephew Andrew Jue, Escondido CA; and grandchildren Jarrett, Elliott and Jillian Clark. Brother Richard Jue preceded him in death.

A celebration of Ken’s life is planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers the family requests gifts in Ken’s honor can be made to either Monadnock Family Services Capital Campaign, 64 Main Street, Keene, NH 03431; or to the Kenneth and Carol Swenson Jue Community Service Scholarship Endowment Fund, Keene State College Advancement, 229 Main Street Keene.