Kenneth Francis Corcoran Jr.

Ken was born in Phoenix, Arizona on July 22, 1945 to Sandra and Kenneth F. Corcoran, Sr. He was raised in Boston and Osterville. After his schooling at Dexter, the Fessenden School and Canterbury, Ken went to the University of Arizona, graduating in 1968 as a prized member of the golf team. He had planned to take over the family business, the Joseph Corcoran Shoe Company, manufacturer of the Corcoran paratrooper boot. But during his senior year in college, his father sold the business, freeing Ken to pursue his dream: working in television.

He began his career with ABC Sports covering the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City and the Super Bowl. He worked for Boston’s WCVB and produced the first local pre-game show for Monday Night Football. He went on to spend decades at PBS/WGBH. Of his many projects there, he was most proud of his years working with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops, and directing the introductory segments for Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery which gave him the opportunity to work with Alistair Cooke, Vincent Price, and Diana Rigg.

Ken’s eye for composition, film, and photography were matched only by his eye for another kind of shot. He took after his father, a talented competitive golfer. Ken played in the USGA Amateur, the Canadian Amateur, and was runner up in the 1966 New England Amateur. He was a member of the Oyster Harbors Club in Osterville, where he started to play at the age of five. Ken was also a member of the Cohasset Golf Club, as well as the Dye Preserve and Jupiter Golf Club in Florida. He was one of those rare, accomplished golfers who would play with anyone at any level and have fun. Ken was passionate about the history and traditions of golf, believed in its life lessons such as honesty and good sportsmanship, and cherished the friendships he made on the course. As Ken’s competitive career wound down, he found great joy in giving back to the game as a rules official for MassGolf, where he’s remembered fondly.

Ken leaves his devoted wife of 31 years, Karen Corcoran of Osterville and Jupiter, Florida, his treasured daughter Elizabeth who inherited his golf swing, daughter-in-law Amy, and granddaughter Caroline. He also leaves his loving nieces Chrissy and Charlotte, their husbands Matt and Scott and grand nieces and nephew Abbie, Millie, Langdon, and Ford. Like Caroline, the young ones called him “PooBoo” and thought he was great fun. Ken was predeceased by his parents, his sister Connie Miller, and his beloved golden retriever Bunker.

A funeral service will be held at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Osterville at 11AM on November 22nd. Interment will be private. There will be a Mass and Celebration of Life in Ken’s honor next summer. In place of flowers, Ken would be delighted if you donated in his name to the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund.