Kenneth B. Birch

Ken was born in Lebanon, NH on May 9, 1932, the son of Kenneth and Pauline (Morissette) Birch. He grew up in Lebanon, NH, attended local schools and was a graduate of Lebanon High School.

Ken served honorably as a Seaman First Class on the USS Des Moines during the Korean War.

He moved to Marlborough, NH in 1964 to work for Central Screw Company. Ken also worked for the Knowlton Stone Company and N.G. Gurnsey and Cheshire Oil before his retirement.

He was a member of the Keene Lodge of Elks, # 927 and was very active in the community. He was a co-founder of the Marlborough Little League and was an avid New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox fan. He also enjoyed playing basketball, and baseball with his sons. Ken enjoyed going fishing and camping with his family and friends in Pittsburgh and “tinkering “on their homes in Marlborough, NH and Port Orange, FL. He relished the winters spent at their home in Port Orange and loved hosting family and friends from both the Keene area and Florida for the annual Daytona Bike Week. He obtained his motorcycle license when he was sixty-two years old.

Ken was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by his wife of sixty years, Joyce M. (Lahaye) Birch of Marlborough; two sons; Edward K. Birch of Marlborough and Roger D. Birch and his wife Kathleen of Keene; four grandchildren; Samuel W. Clapp, Jonathan Miles McKenna, Bethany R. McKenna, and Carrie J. McKenna.

A prayer service will be held at the Foley Funeral Home, 49 Court Street, Keene on Saturday afternoon, February 6, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. Rev. Msgr. Daniel O. Lamothe will officiate. Burial in Lebanon, NH will be at a day and time to be announced. Family and friends are invited to call at the funeral home on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. The Keene Lodge of Elks will conduct a brief memorial service at 11:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, for those who wish, memorial contributions may be made in his name to the Marlborough, NH Fire Department, c/o Chief John Manning, PO Box 487, Marlborough, NH 03455.